The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-12-05

What has organized labor accom-
plished in teh last ten years?" He point
cd out that every strike that had been
declared in the last year had been lost
Concerning the condition Of the labor-a
ing classes today he said they were no
better off now than they were ten
years ago. perhaps not so we'll off in
many respects.
TN the last ten years our condition
has not been bettered. We have got
shorter hours, but outside. of shorter
hours what have we to show for all
our efforts. In order to maintain any
advantages that we have gained, in
order to prevent ourselves from being
crushed out of existence, we must or
ganize politically. I do not mean that
we must organize our trades unions
into political clubs, but mean that
the working people of the United
States must: organize into political
party. When millions OF men are pit
ted against millions of dollars, the mil
lions of dollars will outweigh the men
every time. What I would like to see
is the working people of this United
States organize into a political party
and take control of this government
and correct some Of the evils.
lone of the principal evils that
should be corrected at once is immi-
grafton. Thousands of people from
Southern Italy come over here every
year. They are ignorant and work for
lower wages than the Americans will
because they can live much cheaper.
They become citizens, and their votes
nd hIyS
ticians. Something must be done to
corretc this evil. We must buy in a
protected market and all we have to
sell is our labor, and this we must sell
in competition with the most degraded
people Of Southern Europe
This is only one Of the evils that
must be corrected or we must go down
and OUT
These are the remarks Of George
Skinner, delegate from the carpenters
union to the trades assembly, at the
last regular meeting of that august
body.
While Mr.. Skinner no doubt means
we'll he failed to give trade unions
their proper credit. No one denies but
| that the time is ripe for all members
OF organized labor to take an active
interest in politics. They should do
80 as citizens, It is their duty. But
! to convert the trade union into a poll
| teal organization even Mr.. Skinner
with his laudable idea Of the rights of
| the individual, would object. When
| a trade union becomes political Or
ganization where the will Of the major
| tty must prevail, it would go strongly
against even Mr.. SINNERS Independent
mind to vote for something that he did
not believe in. H. I: H.
| The: trade unions hays. accompli
much in the last ten years The car
penters union of Duluth has raised Mr.
| SINNERS wages from 200 per day tt
$500, and has reduced his working
hours from ten to eight. He knows
! this, and SO does every member of his
union. The trade union has secured
immense economic benefits, but in at.
tempting to right political evils it has
made very little progress.
Mr.. Skinner has no doubt failed tt
distinguish between the economic at.
| tainments of the trade union and it,
political failures It has succeeded tt
a marked degree in the first instance
To right the political evils that oppres:
| the Workingman trade unions are in
sufficient. 1t is here where politica
action is necessary. To combine thu
economic trade union with a politica
organization of workingmen wuold b,
suicide, for the reason that all mel
feel more or less Independent abou
casting their votes.
BY all means let 1aborers go int
politics, but experience teaches us tina
we must keep the economic trade un
ion intact.
! nKFF 1Ir TIT n A II ~