Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-01-10

constitutional provisions forbidding
membership in the militia to members
Of the unions l emphatically deny
that this implies disloyalty to the coun-
try, as some Of our old-fag- with-an-
appropriation editors assert, or lack of
patriotism upon the part of the unions.
During the past twenty years it has
become the custom to frequently call
out the militia in times OF strikes. 1t
doesn't matter here whether this use of
the national guard is justifable Or not
that it is so used is the point. Strikes
are generally the result of orders issued
by labor unions and union men are
those sought to be intimidated by the
use of the militia. In what sort of
position is a man who has sworn to
stand by his union and who has also
taken an oath as a member of the ma
tional guard when his union is out on
strike and his company is ordered to
the scene of the strike? The unions, or
most of them, say that no man has
right to place himself in such an awk
ward predicament. 1t is asking a little
too much of human nature to expect
union men to give the protection of
their organization to man whom they
have seen standing guard at factory
door or mine shaft in a time of con-
test between union labor and capital.
That is all there Is to it, gentlemen.
You may get hot in the collar and rant
upon ''disloyalty" and the like all you
please, so long as the national guard is
used as means Of aiding the bosses to
defeat the legitimate demands Of union
labor just so long will the man who
belongs to the militia be deemed unde-
slrable material for membership in a
labor union.
AS to patriotism, every we'll Informed
man knows that when this country
needs real soldiers it can get them,
as it always has got them, from the
ranks Of the workingmen, especially
union workingmen. The editorial and
professional patriots are good at shoot
ing off their lead pencils and their
mouths, but that is about all they ever
do shoot off in defense Of the old flag
Grand Army buttons are not uncom-
mon sights at meetings Of American
labor unions.
am afraid there is trouble ahead for
the labor movement in this country,
and it makes an old timer sad to con-
template the threatening outlook At
the recent session Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor there were signs Of
impending doom. Yes, sir, doom is the
word. If the spirit of controversy over
jurisdiction is allowed full sway, the
labor movement will suffer as it could
not be made to suffer through any other
means. Strikes, lockouts, hard times,
panics, the united opposition Of every
employer in the land, could not do the
union movement one-half the harm in
quarter of century that this inter-
necine strife can accomplish in one
year. Gentlemen of influence in con-
ficting unions, let me urge you to be
cautious in all you do Avoid friction
and be willing to give and take. In
some cases it might be better if kindred
employments were amalgamated in one
organiza ton; in other cases the autono-
my of each separate branch may be
preferable, but under no circumstances
will fight that may disrupt a union
be desirable. l know all the butts that
this statement will provoke, and have
one but" to answer them all. 1t is bet
ter that the present subdivision in Or
CARNATIONS should continue and all set
Elements of differences be arranged
through the American Federation of
Labor or in other amicable ways than
that unions should engage in wars Of
determination against each other. We
have had some experiences in the con-
centration line and the recollections are
not pleasant. Gentlemen, there are
plenty of fields in the unorganized
world Of labor for you to employ your
energies upon. Go out and get into your
unions the hundreds of thousands Of
nonunion men. There is missionary
work for you. Then hold in reserve all
your fighting powers for use in battles
with the common foes Of labor. Don't
make war on your brothers. Don't let
the powerful labor movement Of Ameri-
|ca turn, like Samson, and pull the TEN.
pie down upon itself.
! JOS. r. BUCHANAN.
Divided the Office.