The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-04

a little of what systematic organization
has done. The men that have brought
about the network of unionism that draws
the workingmen together have done 1t after
many years Of faithful toll. Probably the
one who has been the most instrumental
and who has devoted much of his spare
time to the task of organizing different
unions is John l.. Feltman, now known as
the organizer of the Central Labor Union.
He does not make the work his business,
but circulates among the workingmen Of
various trades and brings them together
into small bodies from which they grow
steadily into organizations OF strength. Mr..
Feltman is without doubt the best known
union man In the city. He has been here,
prominent In labor work, for many years
and anto has been president Of the Central
the cause OF labor at heart is we'll shown by
the fact that he devotes almost every min
ute of his spare time to its interests. He
Is cigar maker by trade. Speaking of
labor organizations he has the following
to say;
even TO those who are not members of labor
organizations that the time has long since
passed when the workingmen can main
tain even the present standard OF life, to
say nothing of our desire for improved con-
ditions, except by uniting our interests with
that OF our w-workingmen and jointly
in a peaceable, orderly manner And thus
through our unions We can obtain a share
OF the wealth we create. This is an era
of great things, commercially as we'll as in
dustrially. Great factories have taken the
place of the old-time small shops. Men
and women workers have lost their indi-
vidualitfes in these great hives OF industry.
The worker who attempts to stand alone
in this age Of combination is hopelessly
lost. and OF no account In fixing the hours
and the wages TO be worked and paid.
Hence We must turn TO our unions and ap-
ply the simple rule Of collective bargain
employer through the authorized commit
tee OF the union and thus unitedly obtain
that which ii IS impossible to achieve
while standing alone.
Trade unions shorten the hours of labor
and increase the wage OF the workers.
They are direct consequence and benefit
to not only the members. but to the whole
community as well. / willingly assert that
trade unions are greater benefit to our
country, 20 our trade and to our commerce
than any other institution now in exist
ence. In addition to the claim In this re-
gard by all well-informed men of labor
movements and students of social economy,
let me quote no less an authority than the
honorable secretary of the United States
treasury, MIR. Shaw, who said in a speech
recently delivered at Chicago that there
was no danger Of an Industrial and COM
mercial depression as long the masses
continued to consume at the present rate
In other words, he repeated that which we
have always said, that the prosperity of
our country depends upon the earning ca
wealth OF the few. This Is a plain PROPOSE
ton. The more the masses earn, the more
they can consume, and the more they con-
sumo, the better II Is for all concerned.
Give workman 81 a day and the rest that
he earns to the employer and he can only
spend ST. While on the other hand. give
him s. day. which means that the man
In business with something TO sell is just
81 better of under the trade union plan.
Therefore, the worker and his family live
better lives.
.'rhe only way to increase wages and
then make the workers better consumers
Is through the agency of trade unions. The
wealth OF the world is distributed through
the wage system. Every increase in wages,
be IL small or large, increases the power
of the masses 10 consume more rapidly
the products OF the factory, the mine and
the farm.
THE success OF the trade union move
ment in the future depends largely upon
our own action. / see nothing but a bright
future before the movement of the trade
unions. True, we will suffer reverses, We
will have our Impressions in the future as
we have had In the past, but we will in
these trying times be as successful In the
end as we are now.