The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-14

others like him. Iney SIT In their SanctumS,
these guardians OF our liberties. covering
under the dictation OF the union that runs
their composing room and presses, and
writing stuff TO ingratiate themselves with
the agitators whom they imagine have il
In their power TO destroy their circulation.
They hire their reporters. their editorial
writers, their advertising men and their
clerks and stenographers In accordance
supply and demand. but at the same time
they support the theories OF socialists and
thugs who are striving to coerce the Nation
into adopting a system for the artificial
regulation Of wages for certain classes.
They write columns against the capitahstie
trusts. which are organized primarily TO
word. except it be of Endorsement of or
praise in regard TO the labor trusts. when
trusts are organized primarily TO increase
the cost OF production. Which is the most
valuable employee about your establishment,
Mr.. Editor-the man who runs typeset-
ting machine or the reporter. who Is your
representative among the people, And yer
il is a notorious fact that the average re-
porter gets about half the wage OF the ma
chine operative in the composing room. III
you are so anxious that the manufacturers
of the country should turn their establish
ments over 10 the labor unions, Mr.. Editor,
why do you not unionize Your editorlal
and Office stats? II your so-called human
itarian ideas have any substance 10 them
certainly you ought TO be the first 10 make
start and be willing TO establish equitable
conditions throughout your establishment.
Oh. consistency. thou art thrice Jswel:
There was one article in that chicago
newspaper TO which / have referred that
I have reserved to speak of last This
article is the one relating to the formation
OF Civic Federation in Chicago. DO not
desire to get into any CONTROVERSY with
any noted senator or politician. but could
not do even partial justice 10 that newspa-
per without saying something about what
this particular article contained In this
article noted senator is quoted as saying
several things. In the first place ne Is
mad to that he s 81 10 sad
given birth to a central senate or strike
committee This is the same thing that the
editor talked about But the difference
between him and the editor was that he
seemed to Gee only good in IL. while the
editor was evidently a little shaky on the
proposition. Immediately following the
noted senator on the platform: came Mr.
John Mitchell. whose union few months
ago votel solidly in favor of general
confscation of wealth. Mr.. Mitchell also
spoke about this new strike institution; he
said. to quote his words, 1t marked an
epoch in the country for the best interests
of organized labor There you have it. gen
tlemen: The editor, the politician and the
graduating the city of Chicago on the &C
QUESTION of an institution which appears
to have it in its power to say who shall
have the right to labor, and what wage
scales employers must pay.
POWER FOR EVIL.
Now I do not know what this so-called
labor senate will do for Chicago. Let US
hope it will do nothing. But can and you
can well imagine what it is possible for it
to do. AS the editor limited. it could tie
up the industries of Chicago tighter than
a drum. central committee composed OF
men elected by labor unions is dangerous
depository of the power to rule or ruin
the industries of a great city. What can
~. t>I 4f nh
thinking of when he makes haste to be
among the first to doff his hat to this
latest product of triumphant unionism?
But to return to this article about the
formation of a civic federation in Chi
cago. l wish to quote further what the
noted senator has to say. He says: Con-
ciliatory arbitration must and will come
The senator is further represented as be-
| ing very favorabiy impressed with the
| teamster arbitration board of Chicago, and
| it goes without saying that he stands by
| teamster arbitration machine in Chicago
| consists of seven teamster unionists and
seven employers of teamsters. This board
| came into existence quite naturally. The
| teamsters hold the strategic position in a
| city's business, for not pound Of freight
| can a business man receive or send out
| from his store or factory without their con-
| sent. 1t got so in Chicago that every time
| a Union made a raid on employer it
asked the assistance of the teamsters, and
| the latter finally concluded that they would
become the arbiters in all disputes.
| Through their board they have settled
| nearly every strike in Chicago for year.
that did not grant higher wages whenever
the wages were in dispute, have not
heard of it.
ster board and the anthracite commission
| furnish the best known examples of sue
cessful arbitration during the last year,
and they are therefore to be taken as ex-
amples of what is meant by conciliatory
| arbitration. Gentlemen, the word concil-
iatory is good word, but it is being most
| atrociously used. To think that it should
| gooning an employer into court, where he
| is duly bound hand and foot and then told
| to pay his men more wages and be good.
| This conciliatory arbitration business con-
sists, as every unbiased person must &C.
| knowledge. of simply taking the demands
| of the union, scaling them about one-half.
words of certain Chicago labor leader to
| an employer: You must arbitrate and
| give us what we want or we will strike.
| The union asks enough to start with, and
| the men have all they want-until the next
| time. This is the beautiful arbitration that
men go about the country praising as con.
| arbitrations, We are told, is against the
Golden Rule. 1t Is remarkable the num-
Der of men who are advertising themselves
| 1t seems to have become quite an excellent
phrase with which to boost ones helf into
| public Office
This reminds me that one employer ir
that wonderful city of Chicago managed
| during this last year to evade the clutches
of the teamsters' conciliatory machine and
! succeeded in obtaining an arbitration board
| composed of three ministers OF the gospel
| The way it came about was this: Thu
| strikers, who were steam engineers at the
| stockyards. presented list OF names te
the employer, and said that he might Sc
lect three men from the list and they would
| be satisfied. Whether this employer was IN
| fiuenced by the golden rule agitation or no
| is not known. but then for some reason h,
picked out ministers in the list The thre,
| preaching the golden rule. went to work
and for several weeks they faithfully hears
| both sides of the controversy. On April 2
| of this year they made their decision. Th'
| men had asked for eight hours, three shifts
day and 37ls cents an hour. The boart
cut their union scale down to 80 cents al
hour and said that ten hours was all the,
could justly ask. What was the result
| Labor Immediately declared that they want
ed nothing more TO do with ministerial
arbitration, and. although the engineers ha,
agreed TO abide by the arbitration we I'm,
again, renewing their original demands
1t must be that the golden rule of the Top
sided business known conciliatory ar
bitration is different from the golden rul
of the ministers.
REVERSING THE PROCESS.
"If conciliatory arbitration must come
as the noted senator says. then 1 shoul
like to know If it will be permitted 70
the employers to make demands and hav
them arbitrated? Suppose employe
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