Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-26
CENTRAL LABOR UNIONS LETTER TO A. r. ABBOTT The We'll Known Real Estate Man Answers It An Open Leere Tells Labor Organizations and Labor Men Few Things Good
 Natured Way-Denounces the Boycott As We'll As the
 Unfair List Quotes From American Federaionist

upon the unions and their sympathiz- CTS not only unionized dictionary, but also spurious or unionized versions of the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule and the Declaration of Independ- ence.
 A Unionized Dictionary
 In this new dictionary ~fair.'' honorable" and 'legitimate'' include in their definitions, coercion by threat, intimidation, ostracism, boycott, vitup- eratlon; measures which, whether so intended or not, naturally and logically under the law of progression, lead on to riot, violence, destruction and mur- der. These are all forms of compul- sion. They are intended to compel a man against his will, his personal rights and his convictions, and those who set out to use only the nilder forms of coercion must not disclaim re- sponsibility when they find these have brought forth their logical fruits, dis order and bloodshed. Intimidation and boycott are, in their nature. highway mems weapons. I would as soon that you attack my life as to attempt to de- prive me of my manhood or my means of livelihood. Labor unions must learn to draw the line between fair and in Itelligent persuasion and all forms of coercion or they will die. Tor by their expressions they are fast becoming a nuisance to a liberty flowing people.
 The Unionized Moral Law. Portions of the amended moral law evidently read as follows:
 l. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (except the labor union; 1t must be supreme); (see selucidation fur ther on.)
 g.. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vair," (except in cursing the non union men, the "scab'' and the capitalist)
 3. Rem ember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day" (by meeting where the smoke Of tobacco incense rises and there pass threatening resolutions against fellow citizens who, it is imag- ined, bow not down to organized la bor.)
 4 Honor thy father and thy moth err" (by ignoring their old-fashioned teachings that 4Godliness with content ment is great gain,' and that better conditions for men and families come from industry, frugaltty. temperance and good will towards employers and other fellow men.)
 5. Thou shalt not kill,' (except the Ss4r who, according to the gospel once pro- is a copperhead, the most loathsome creatures that crawls. and, of course such are not fit to live)
 z Thou shalt not steal,' (except the job of the non-union man and the manhood and liberty of him whom you can force to join or support your un- ion against his judgment and his con- science.)
 8. Thou shalt not bear false wit ness against thy neighbor." The non- union man is not thy neighbour
 g. Thou shalt not covet," (except thou mayest demand all you dare from your employer and the public, and get 1t if you can.)
 10. Thou shalt remember that might (of organized numbers) makes right. and thou mayest show thy pow CT to enforce thy demands, even though it leads to.flle destruction of business, the peace of the community, and to riot and b1oodshed."
 The unionized Golden Rule seems to be. whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to then;' provided they join the union and submit to all the requirements which it's leaders may prescribe Its new version of the Declaration of Independence evidently reads:
 sAll men are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happi- ness" fbut these rights are justly for feited by him who obeys not the be- nests of organized labor.) My brothers, I have seen no printed copies of these unionized versions, but since 'sBy their works ye shall know them'' we cannot but see that they are l in use in many union circles.
 A Union Obligation. In connection with the first com- mandment quoted, will say that nave D6IOTS 5IiG uH duLuClIllS SOpy OL 1 the obligation which at least one Of the international, and probably also other unions represented in Waterbury require of those who are admitted to membership, and in 1t is the following pious and patriotic clause:
 1T hereby solemnly and sincerely swear tor affirm) that my fidelity to the union and my duty to the members thereof. shall in no sense be fnterfer- ed with by any allegiance that may now or hereafter owe to. any other or ganization, social, political or religious, secret or otherwise; that will belong to no society or combination composed wholly or partly of (here the trade is named) with the intent or purpose to interfere with the trade regulations or influence or control the legislation of l this union," etc.
 That is-if I interpret aright-fam- fly, patriotism and religion must all take a back seat in unionism; and if I I am once in its embrace, no matter how unwise, unchristian or un-Ameri- I r ind ifc nh 1frra< Io~~ ;eJa