The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-05-09
Unionism Under the Competitive
System.

SuuJcCI WAs UiOuSut up " lhO
commencement Of the monopoly
SYSTEM" yet, there is still one
more factor in the competitive
system that should be mentioned
before proceeding to discuss the
current events of the present
time--that factor is the Labor
Union"
Every economic system has had
its own peculiar labor Organiza.
tons. The Feudal system pro-
duced its labor guilds; The Com
petitlve System gave birth to the
Labor Unions; and the Monopoly
System, although it still continues
to COMPEL the laborer to hold fast
to his Union; yet, as the condi-
tons have changed, so the objects
Of these Unions must also change,
in order to meet the requirements
that are forced upon them by new
social surroundings. This being so
it would be better to devide the
subject Of Labor Unions into two
separate articles; First, under the
Competitive System; and second
Under Monopoly.
As Feudalism gave way before
tho rise Of commercialism, the
manner in which Society produced
its goods" was completely trans
formed. New relations of man to
the external world were intro
duced. The social environments
were changing. Society was Sc
curing It's goods from nature in
new way. By the biological
analogy, and in obedience to econ
omic law We must expect to see
great changes take place in all
social institutions. When a plant
or animal meets with new cOndi.
tons in its struggle for existence,
it either perishes or changes the
form Of its structure. To cite two
instances: The turkey buzzard,
which is a common bird in the
south, ceases to exist, when prop
or precautions are taken in, the
disposal Of dead animal matter, as
is demonstrated in a country in
which strict laws are made and
enforced to protect the peoples
health. The Australian parrots,
becoming meat eaters, their stom
ach, beak, and .alons became
transformed for that purpose.
Everywhere the same law governs.
Tho production and distribution
of what the organism decides for
its goods determines all else.
The time of which we speak illus
trates this.
The new econ omic relations de
handed new organization. The
new developments were hampered
by the old restrictions that sought
to determine by law the relations
of man to man. The old nobility
had rested uron custom enacted
into law. 1t desired stability and
had used the powers Of state
which it controlled to secure that
end. The just arising mercantile
class, which had been produced
by the new economic conditions,
wished freedom Of trade and con-
tract, that they might not be
fetterod In the extention of mark
cts and exploration Of labor.
They overthrow the nobility and
landed class, gained control of
the political power, and becoming
the dominant class, they enacted
their class interests into legal reg
ulations. They inaugurated the
reign of competition, and free
contract. They abolished the old
laws of the market and opened
wide the flood gates of adultera
ton, sheddy, adver Using, and all
the tricks Of trade They broke
down the old barriers that hedged
the laborer aboAt with restrictions
and protection. and gave to him
"freed0m Of contract freedom to
little children, scarce out of baby |
hood, to be harnessed to cars be-
meath the ground, or to toll for
long hours in herds, in the newly
erected hells called factories;
freedom to women to enter occu-
pations that swept them off like
sheep before a plague, and laid
he curse upon unborn generations;