The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-19
In Labor's Field.
A NOTE OF W ARNING
Clarence s. Darrow's Address on
"Perils Of Trade Unionism" Has
Caused Much Comment.
Wormen Are Cautioned Against
Alternating the Public by I'm
reasonable Demands.

The recent address in Chicago on "The
Perils Of Trade Unionism,' by Clarence S.
Darrow, the lawyer, who appeared before
the strike commission as counsel Of the
United Mine Workers, has aroused much
comment In the labor world. It Is de-
scrfbed as q note Of warning to organized
labor. and is the more interesting be-
cause 1t comes from a man who has long
been prominent advocate Of labor's
claims. Mr.. barrow said in part:
1.-THE phenomenal growth Of trade
unfonism thruout the last two or three
years, altho unparalleled In any other
period of the world is perhaps not unlike
the growth of the knights Of Labor some
twenty years ago. 1t does not follow that
trade unionism will live because it is so
strong to-day. When adversely comes as
1t must come under our present system of
production; when large numbers Of men
are thrown out Of employment. then the
great strain upon trade-unfonlsm will be
felt. It is comparatively easy to organ
ize workingmen while all are employed or
while work is plentiful It Is difficult to
sustain this organization while many men
are living on the verge of starvation or
want.
THE great growth Of trade-unionism
has caused the working man to feel his
power; 1t has necessarily made many Of
them arbitrary, unreasonable, and unjust
in their demands. This has, in many
among large class who otherwise would
be sympathetic toward the unions For
instance, In the late strike Of the anthra-
cite coal workers, the sympathy Of the
whole country was with the strikers This
was due not to any special knowledge
on the part Of the public of the condition
Of the striking men, but to their hatred
against the coal trust, which had mo-
nopolized and put up the price on a neces-
sary product. Thee growth of these great
industrial monopolies, whose business has
been to take as much from the public as
the public would stand. has set against
them the great mass of the common peo-
pie. These people have been sympa-
thetic to trade unions, not SO much be-
cause they understood trade unions, as
because they hated the monopolies.
AT best. only a small proportion Of the
real wOrkingmen are reasonably eligible
to trade unionism are reasonably eligible
chants and many others composing the
great middle class do not belong to the
unions and can not reasonably be eX-
pected to belong to the unions. This
great middle class, which really creates
the sympathy for the common people,
which, in fact is the common people, have
believed that they were plundered by the
trusts and corporations and have given
aid to the trade unions. When they
imagine that the trade unions are making
unreasonable demands or unfair condi-
lions. their hostility will be turned against
trade unionism as 1t is turned against the
corporate control
Continuing. Mr.. barrow observed that
the majority Of trade unionists to-day
devote their whole time to the raising of
wages. This he characterized as "a de-
fusion and a snare" Trade untonism,'
he said, Should turn its attention toward
the solution by law and industrial changes
Of the problems Of the day." He con-
cluded:
THE energy now directed toward
simply organizing men and seeking to
better their condition by raising wages,
must be more largely turned toward the
political and economic questions Of $5the
day, upon which labor, capital. and wages.
depend
This great energy cannot be always
kept In the narrow. channel in which it's
directed at the present time. It is for the
trade unionists of the world to. show their
ability and generalship by directing this
great army Of working men toward the
substantial and permanent change and
improvement Of the laws and industrial
institutions Of the world"