The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-17
PRIEST. D. NJ. PARRY
TALKS OF UNIONS
Continued from First Page.

continue in business pay the walking
delegate his blackmail and compromise
with his own convictions of right and
wrong In discriminating against honest
and capable men whose only crime is that
they do not belong to the union. The time
has come when the tyranny Of organized
labor should be rebuked and when also
the laxity in the enforcement of law
against strike bosses should be rebuked.
The abdication of the powers of municipal
authorities to the rule Of riot and an
archy in times of strike Is occurring with
disgusting frequency. a
II Is time that something was being
done. / think that the formation of the
Citizens Industrial association is long
step toward doing this something. 1t is
a sad commentary upon our form of gov
eminent that it is becoming necessary
for the forces of law and order to organize:
for the purpose Of compelling the enforce
ment of the constitution Of the United
States. But, since organizations, whose
chief purpose apparently Is to tear down
the constitution, are able to paralyze the
hand Of governmental authority and even
to influence public thought by intimidating
the press and public men, there is no al.
tentative left for the substantial and loyal
citizenship Of the country except that
of forming counter organizations, i be-
lieve that unless organized labor retreats
1iOIAl us iHSoiSuL dio prSSuutpluOUS dI-
tempts to dictate over industry, without
regard to the rights Of others guaranteed
by our form of government there will be
an uprising of the indignant and outraged
people Of this country the like of}iwhich,
has not been witnessed by the present,
generation. TT
The Chicago Gathering.
take this cordial greeting you have
extended as evidence not only of your
hOSnff9 h1a ! intent hl1f ole ~ he RI
interest you have in the organization
formed by the recent Chicago convention
That convention was most remarkable
gathering. Three hundred business men,
representing over 100 business mems and
citizens organizations covering the entire
country, assembled together for the one
purpose Of uniting themselves. into a. force
to combat trades union lawlessness. It
was spectacle that in itself had very,
salutary effect. The tone Of the press II
nothing else shows this to have. been the
case. 1t was a notification to the coun-
try that the business interests ana good
citizenship of the nation have had enough
Of organized labor foolishness. It was a.
notification that law and order must be-
enforced and that class domination over
industry is not going to be tolerated. The
organization that was formed believe
will become a power for good in this
country. Everything cannot be accom-
| plished in day, but a good start has
been made. It is up to you and to me
and to every member Of every associa-
| ton in sympathy with Its aims and objects
to make 1t a success 81. :!
The Closed Shop Principle. y.
! I want to say a few words here about
| the closed shop principle. The latest OBJ
ject lesson as to what this principle means
| is furnished by the strike Of the employees
/ OF the Chicago City Railway company.
Let me read you the demands which were
made upon the company and which were
| the occasion for the strike. The company
| agreed to submit all demands as to wages
to arbitration, but the demands It, refused
| to arbitrate are as folows:
| THAT every employe of the company
shall belong to the union and that every
nonunion employe of the company either
| be compelled to join the union or be dis
| charged.
THAT the employees OF the company
| have the right to control what is known
| as the routing of cars, which includes
| the assignment of men and the selection
of the working hours.
| '"That no employee of the company be
discharged from its service without the
I consent Of the OFFICERS OF the union, which
are to be judges of the conduct of the
employees of the company"
/ These demands are in effect that the
company turn it's business over to the
union bosses. The only right which the
i company would retain would be that OF
! furnishing the brains and paying the
wages of the men. In order to compel the
company to yield to their commands the
labor bosses have filled the half of Chi
/ cago with mobs. The lack of city govern
ment or rather the existence of an admin
istration that is secretly in sympathy with
the agitators produced results that are
fresh in your minds. The strike is but
another instance of the truth that the
labor leaders are ready to plunge this
country into civil strife if need be to Sc
cure their ends. They hesitate at moth
] ing. and once they secure what they re-
1 gard as a sufficient following they viii
come out boldly for revolution. 1t is not
the right to quit work Or the right to or.
Iganize for which they are striving NJ
one denies them these rights. But the
fright which they are fighting for and the
one which all decent citizens must op
pose to the last Of their strength is tina
to prevent other people beside themselve:
from working. This is the meaning Of thu
closed shop principle
An Industrial Menace.
Not long ago an excellent example o
II the effects Of this principle was given Thu
country by the failure Of s2,ooO,0Oo shil
building company in Brooklyn. Mr.
Morse the president of the company sait
at the time Of the failure that the caus
for 1t was to be found in the fact that tn
concern was run by the unions. Tn
company was compelled to employ eve
union everseers. The men "soldiered
and even slept while earning their pa
and the company was powerless to dis
charge them. The union bosses say to tn
employer, You must employ only on
lmen," and when the employer succumb
they say to the men that are employed
+ I"Yo on must work as little as possible 70
the less you do the more there is fo
someone else to do and the more 1t cost
the employers; we will see that you ar
mot discharged for working too little Blu
we will also see that you are discharged
: you work too much. T.
There you have 1.-THE combination Z
the closed shop with the "go-easy'' doc
Urine of tradesunionism. If the two TIC
Igether would not ruin American industr
& do not know what would. The publ
has an interest In the successful manage
lfnent OF Industrial enterprises for it is dc
pendent upon the products and service
rendered by these enterprises. The en-
a. ployer has an interest In having condition
+ maintained that will assure him the oppol
= tunity of protecting his own and making
profit If he can. for heswill go out Of bus
i ness unless there is some inducement Il
him to do business. The independent en-
ploye has an interest in knowing that /
will not be slugged and his happine
ruined il he endeayors to hold himse
"A aloof from allegiance to labor bosses, 4
in free country the joining of some ce
tain organization should be no more
a nerassaryF qualification for ernployrne