Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-15

| so that the industrial activity of Chi
cago will not be hampered in any way
| by strikes and lockouts. The society
has employed eX-Chairman Job of the
Illinois Board of Arbitration as COM
missioner to look after the interests
of the employers. The employers OF
y Chicago have shown wisdom by the
X rmation of their society, which, if
SIN ,cessful, in it's dealings with the
mi ons will, no doubt, see the organi-
zati, m of similar societies in all the |
indn, trial and commercial centers of |
the c. ,untry..
The Neutral Man.
For 4 man to remain neutral is, of |
course personal right, but for a man
to rema, n neutral when he hopes in
his heart that the union of his CO.
laborers ill succeed in obtaining for
himself an d others an increase in
wages. beh er working hours, is a
nrettv "noo, stick of man." There
is NO nentra. lity for wage worker to
etsnd mon. h>e must be for or against
tbe nnion rel ,lresentative of his labor.
Tho simnle "a ct that the union exists,
that Ybe ohiet t: of its existence is to
sec,re henefit ito the class of labor it
renresents. an G that its platform is
broad and it's principles praiseworthy,
dest1,ovs all |, disability of any one
m aintaining dignified, honorable
neutrality while his co-laborers pro-
claim themselve as union men and
wear badee their trade union.
Nh ereforo everv nan must be for or
AGAINST The union and if any attempt
to remain neutral it is simply hypoc-
risv. in Main Eng Nsh language it is
riding two horses the employer and
the union. Neutral wy is cowaIuice.
1t is standing in thS Wofid oi lapoi
with arm extended tnu manu- o ~,
spread to receive ben ells anu az .no
same time keep a sh; ip eye ous ~,
danger. If the benefits reach - ehe nanu
they are eagerly recei1 GU, - uane =.
appears the extended alm Ians "
the side and trembling ,uotsteps az
heard in a convenient ues- ~
the way neutrality acts.
Labor Notes.
There is another sort of ueutral,.y,
it is that practiced by the b achsiiuei
the neutrality which promp, $ nan
only to pay dues to the uni, III Mnen
something substantial is in slsh.,
Backsliders are barnacles insi ue Vi
the ship-men who pay dues w ac1
as though they were ashamed of henn-
selves, for they never speak of he !, UNI
ion, or endeavor to secure esu Us ;;
They can say they are "for the MON, !.
but the daily life is against it. It.s 10
any wonder that true blue UNION uen
speak contemptuously sometimes VI
their fellow workmen? How can =. a
man who has the moral courage, "
support his convictions and expire -
them have very high regard for e
co-worker who never has an opinio
of his own and declares himself s
neutral" except on pay days?
Pay days the neutrals receive in
creased wages, secured by the trades
union but conveniently forget the in
f1uence that brought the benefit to
them. Organized labor is business
proposition. and should be carried out
in business way by conservative
business men, and when employers
recognize the right of employees to
form trade unions and treat with them :
with desire to eliminate strikes and
boycotts, there will be no difficulty in :
avoiding any labor disturbances that I
now exist.
1t is not so many years since it was
a crime in the eyes of the law to be-
long to trades union. Unionism, ar
son and counterfeiting were supposed
to be three of a kind.
Since those days trades unionism
has fought and won. Today union
is as legal as bank, and much more
necessary.
The wage-worker who does not be-
| long to union today is regarded, ev-
en- by his employer, as stupid dolt.
With it's 100000 members, the Amer
lean Federation of Labor has become
| the strongest industrial organization
4 in the world
! The monopolist has behind him mil
lions and millions of money-a force
| that is obedient to the hand that con-
trolls it. The labor leader, on the 9TH
err hand, has behind him thousands of
men, large proportion of whom are
new recruits in the army of unionism,
and as fractions and obstinate as a
team of bucking bronchos. 1t is much
easier to handle organized money than
organized men.
The fierce glare of publicity is turn
ed upon the modern labor leader. If
he makes the slightest mistake it is
! telegraphed to every city in the Union.
4 A single hasty word may cause him
| to lose his case and bring poverty up
\ Oh Iu6 uSu VIII pldCSu I'LL III LIS Po-
sition.
4 The labor leader of today must have
principles of steel. There are hun
dreds of millions at stake in the great
| industrial battles in which he is a gen.
eral. He must MOI only be above dis
honesty, but above the least suspicion
of it.
The leadership of trades union,
therefore, depends on the intelligence
and stamina of the rank and file. Ig-
norant men will always choose igno-
/ rant leaders. That is why democracy
and education must always go hand in
4 hand, else democracy will lead to cor
ruption and decay.
4 A mob of men who spend tens of !
thousands year on beer and yet will
not support or even read their own
trade paper, cannot secure capable
leader, except by accident. No clever,
4 efficient man will for very long allow
himself to be ground between two mill
stones-the power of the capitalists |