The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-16
SPEAKS AGAINST
The CLOSED SHOP
Commissioner Of the New York Met
al Trades Association Address
es Civic Federation.
President Mitchell Defends Union
Labor's Right to Fight the
Open Shop.

Chicago, Oct. 16.-VieWs by labor
and employers in regard to the open
shop were again presented to-day be-
fore the National Civic Federation,
holding a three days conference here.
President Samuel Gompers of the
American Federation of Labor called
the meeting to order. One Of the first
speakers was Henry c.. Hunter, COM
missioner of the Metal Trades asso-
citation Of New York. He spoke in
opposition to the closed shop on &C
count, as he said, Of the present con-
dition Of organized labor and the
methods pursued by labor organiza-
tions for the accomplishment of their
ends. Unions, he said, assume to con-
troll shop methods and regulate wages
to the financial loss Of employers and
disorganization Of industry and with
out regard to economic conditions.
The speaker spoke Of acts of vio-
lence on the part of labor, which, he
asserted, were done with the knowl-
edge and approval Of the union, and
appealed to representative leaders to
wipe out these blots Of violence.
A statement by Mr.. Hunter regard
ing the expulsion of organizations
from the Central Federated union of
New York, was challenged by James
P. Archibald Of New York, secretary
of one of the unions in the body to
which Mr.. Hunter referred. ma
John Mitchell on "Open Shop"
1.-THE open shop" question was the
chief topic of the speech Of President
John Mitchell Of the United Mine
Workers, delivered late yesterday. He
| urged the rights of union men to re-
| fuse to work with non-union men.
| Speaking In justification of the SEEM
ing arbitrariness of labor unions in
opposing the open shop" Mr.. Mitch
ell said: ~. ~
| 1.-THE union workmen who refuse to
| work with non-unionists do not say
In so many words that the employer
shall not engage non-uniOn WOrkmen
| What the unionists in such cases do
| Is merely to, stipulate as a condition
| that they shall not be obliged to work
/ with men who, as nOn-uniOnists, are
| obnoxious, just as they shall not be
i obliged to work in a dangerous OF
unsanitary shop for unduly long hours
or at insufficient wages. ''7 t
i ''Of course, where unions are strong
4 and include all the best men in the
industry, this condition amounts to {
very real compulsion. The compul
sion, however, Is merely the result O.
the undoubted legal right of work
men to decide upon what terms the.
are willtngsto give their labor, and thu
employer is always-theoretica ant
often :practically-in a position wher,
he may make his choice between unio1
! and non-union labor. . s.-
i ITO refuse to work with non-uniol
men is, to no greater and to no les
extent, compulsion than for life O
, fire insurance company to refuse certain
classes of risks. for a, church to refus
membership to certain classes of PEG
!. pie, or for any association whatso
y ever to set conditions under which
!. Ewilf havezsd dealings with certain per
!. sons : >s **5s = y y
. Exclusion of Non Unionists. i
There is, it must be said, certain
: danger apart from antagonism Of EN-
! ployers, in the compulsory unionizin
{ of shops. The union button does no
make a unionist at heart. An enem
! is sometimes more formidable With
the lines than on the outside. i TIL
presence Of a few anti-unionists a
trade union meetings may enable EN-
ployers to- inform themselves of tn
plans of the organizations and thu
cripple the union more effectively tina
if the avowed friends were open. enc
e mics. al, = -
+ IT believe that trade unions have
perfect legal and moral right to ez
clude non-unionists, but that th
q right should be exercised with the vi
most care, and only after persuasio
has been tried and failed. I also be
. lieve that, with the growth Of trad
. unionism in the United States, the e1
: clusion of non-unionists will becom
3 more complete, altho the antmosit
toward the non-unionist will diminis
with the 1essening of his power to d
evil."& IT,.