The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-03
UNIONS REPLY
TO PRIEST. PARRY
LOCAL TRADES COUNCIL d.
VIDED OVER THE MATTER
Special Committee Had Decided Not
to Report Any Reply, but a Social
LIST Member Submitted Document
Which Carried the Gathering OFF
Its Feet--strong Terms Used.

: i L )
After discussing the matter for
three weeks the Trades and Labor
Council turned down it's special COM
mittee which advised silence on the
subject for the present, and last night
adopted formal reply to the address
recently delivered here by D. M.
Parry, president of the American
Manufacturers association
The reply was written by DR.. H. B.
Fay, local socialist, who, with many
other champions of the cause of la
Dor, who belong to the Federal Labor
union, was present at the meeting and
voluntarily offered the document af-
ter 1T was known that the special COM
mittee would not submit reply.
While the council voted to make
this reply part of the meetings. pro-
ceedings, and while the members are
a unit as to their attitude toward Mr..
Parry. there is a decided division of
opinion In the body as to the best way
OF meeting his arguments. Those who
agreed with the special committee
having the matter in charge, that this
is not the time for a public express
sion on the subject of the Parry adj
dress, are inclined to comment on the
large attendance of socialists and their
sympathizers last night. Some intinla-
| ton is also made that organized labor
| is capable of making better, more
| conservative and more dignified reply
| to the head of the American Manu-
facturers association. Nevertheless
they stand for the action of the coun-
| Gil, now that it is done.
The reply. as adopted, follows:
Minneapolis, Mimi, Dec. 2. 1903.
Mr.. D. NJ. Parry, President American Mfg
Association. Dear Sir:
The Trades and Labor Assembly of Min.
neapolis expresses herewith it's approva
of your late speeches made in the twin
cities, insofar as they are true signs Of the
times. What are those signs?
First-That the association you repre-
sent is being ground to pieces between the
wheel of organized labor and the organized
much as some of your association have il
late individual conflicts with building
trades councils been beaten by unions o
labor. you, for them, have been forced t.
j squeal. So we welcome you as q. sign o
the times. For such a sign clearly indi
Gates that in the evolution Of industry
the small individual capitalist. selfish.
] considering. himself without regard to tn
welfare of society at large, is as surel,
doomed as were the old fashioned ham
machines.
Financial reports prove that of late tn
members Of your association have not bee
getting so large a percentage of profit
squeezed out of labor, as the big specu
lating tinanciers of the stock exchange
Nevertheless the labor unions do not con
slider that any justification for your at
tempted effort to enlasculate our labo
unions, preparatory to a general lowerin
Of wages. SO as to under-bid Europea
capitalists in Selling oriental markets. w
object to allowing you to pit our labo
= against 'tthe pauper labor Of Europe" tn
labor of our foreign cousins.
A Guild Pro Quo.
You point the finger of scorn agains
such labor agitators as Sam Parks. w
point our fingers Of scorns against the post
office scandals of your class; against yor
Z coal zbarons who cody pocket 1nlll1on ms. an
: at the same time freeze the million:
against your blood thirsty greed dlsplaye
E IN foreign wars of conquest, enriching on
., the plutocracy; and your unconstitution
: acts of inlprisoning workingmen Wlthol
| even a trial.
If we are responsible (and we deny 1
for men like Sam Parks, the members
your capitalists union are responsible Il
: crushing the lives out of little children
l the factories of the south, New Jersey ar
other states. You would retain the on
:. of-date Manchester doctrine of Gree
: Britain of allowing any manufacturer
: turn out gods at least cost to himself |
:. turning humanity out of doors. I'his ye
I would accomplish by the hired force
e public opinion, but worse, by the hire
force Of the national guard to over-av
workers into slavish submission
:, The Socialist Labor Party.
: We would and can prevent such ba
q barism only by the peaceful and hone
{ intelligence of the workingmen expresst
q at the ballot thru an independent par
of their own class. You foresee this ce
!, tain sign of the times, and say it mu
n be prevented. We accept, the gauntle
L CHI MT ha
q For the object of such movement W
be to support our children in good schoo
II Yes, it is contest between two class
that can't be harmonized. Your ella
: must have it's profits. Our class mu
y have it's children. We shall finally tn
$ this country over, neither to ''the lab
bosses,' as you say, nor to 1.-The boss
of your association, as we say. Y
claim to favor the open shop" You
not A shop is not "open" that is clos
to all labor except the cheapest lab
II is only ourselves who favor the ''op
- shop"
= one Kind of Open Shops.
We favor the "open shop" into viii
9. the SPECTATOR must also enter for t
i! ie purpose of putting his great brain
~ he wants to earn a living, into usefl
W directing industries at cost, instead
VI living as now out of the profits belongi
~ to those who are necessary in product
is wealth. We favor the open shops" whs