The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-01-10
PROGRESSIVE: :.
TRADE r | |: ]. | UNIONS !
EDUCATION. MEANS PROGRESSIVE
TRADE UNIONIsN.
Educational Facilities Are More
Readily Accessible to the Masses
Today Than Ever Before-Great
Responsibility Upon Working
uoation Demanded.

The educational facilities are more
readily accessible to the masses today
than at any previous time, and never
before were these facilities taken ad-
vantage Of to the extent now enjoyed
by the masses. With increasing OPP
portunides. to intelliEently view the
world we are living in comes the never
falling desire to- more fully enjoy that
world. A broadening intelligence and
| higher aspirations are miserable
companions. Every progressive step
towards a higher civilization has been
foreoasted by freedom from mental or
physical bondage The most prosp-
erous people are the most enlightened
and the most enlightened are those
whose physical energies are not so
taxed as to warp their mentality. Edu-
cation is gradually freeing the toiling
masses from the bondage Of ignorance
and leaving in it's stead the firmly
planted aspiration to more freely en-
Joy the material comforts in keeping
with a broadening intelligence. We
point with pride to our free eduea-
4ional system which enables the child
rem of the poor and lowly to enjoy
equal advantages with the children Of
the wealthy. Yet when the conditions
under which we are forced to earn our
living bear heavily on the bread winner
of the family and he is forced to take
his children from school and send them
into the factory to contribute their
portion toward the family income he
is expected and his children are expect
ed, as they gradually mature, to &C
cept. their toilsome lot without
struggling to improve it by the practic-
al remedy held out by organized labor
The wage earners are educated to
their CO. operative power, are edu-
Gated to the p0wer of organization.
Organizations of capital and labor are
both creatures of our present industri-
al progress, and it is as natural as
it is just for the one seek what the
other has gained, the benefits accru-
ing from organized struggle. During
the past six months the question of
labor's rights to organize has been
thoroughly thrashed over. Few there
are, accredited with sufficient bredth
Of mind to intelligently view the ques-
ton, who deny to the labor the rights
of organization. but in granting: this
make it of any material value are
denied. This right unless it carries
with it some practical remedy remains
meaningless and: senseless. The uni
faction ofs wage workers SIS essential to
1 their advancement, and 3 this. advance
ment will never be more than nominal
unless their united effort crystalize
into g. solid harmonious movement
! There is no place for trade unions I'M
| less they can gain sufficient power to
| substantially benefit the individual
wage earners, and they can always
be relied upon to employ every avail
| able means to bring it about within
the limits of law and consistent with
! the best interests Of the industry with
which they are connected and the
prosperity Of which determines the
! prosperity of the craft union and of
necessity the prosperity of it's members
Labor unions are nothing more than
the united effort of individuals to
establish a reformation of existing
| evils and to gain improvements where
such can be gained to the ultimate ad-
! vancement Of all. It IS generally con-
ceded by those familiar with the ST.
| tuation that the affairs Of the larger
unions are conducted as conservative
iy as the affairs of any business con-
Germ and no methods employed express
ly to secure an increase of wages and
other improvements regardless of the
effect on the industry Yet where evils
can be done away with, even though
1t is by virtue of such evils that MANY
unfair manufacturers flourish success-
ruby such. evils can be obliterated
from our industrial life to the mutual
interest OF ALL AS long as the youth
OF our nation enjoy the advantages of
eoucatlon' the greatest of which is
improving upon present methods, the
nlnos OF working men must always
involve some plan either through COM
olnatlon or otherwise. looking toward
! elevation.