Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-16

stiles of life for period of six years,
and upon that we are willing to rest
our argument feeling assured that
each household and it's maintainer will
therein find the real truth, and we in
vite close investigation by all wives
and heads of households on this vital
question.
Fully aware that an organization oil
capitalists and business men exists in
this city for the purpose of destroying
the union movement we are willing tc
meet them In the open and in the full
glare of an inquiring public, fully as
sured within ourselves that any effort
to destroy the union movement in OF
tnmwa will take from it's business men
the patronage of 5000 union miners
who live within radius of fifty miles
adjacent to this city. Coupled with
this there are 1900 union men and
women in the city of Ottumwa that
will absolutely refuse to be abettors
of the destruction of their own welfare.
The union movement has come to stay
in Ottumwa as it has in every city of
the United States. and the good work
of the unions will never end in this
city until every child under the age OF
- 40 leihCh llOM llG WOIhSuOp anu
placed in the home and school; until
living wages are paid to every man and
woman who is capable and willing to
work; until the hours of wages have
been reduced to the minimum whereby
constant employment at living wages
is given to all able bodied wage earn
ers. Neither fattery nor cajolery, nor
threats of punishment now or hereaft
er will swerye us from our conception
and performance of duty. To maintain
for all time and against all it's foes
that our movement of the trades unions
for the trades unions and by the trades
unions shall last forever. All efforts
of the antagonists against the cause Of
labor simply arouses greater interest
among the wage workers who are real
izing more clearly every day
that their only hope for protec-
ton against injustice now
and for their liberty in the future lies
in their more thorough organization.
And we hold that it is libel on the hui
man family to say that in our time with
all the great machinery and tools; with
the division and specialization of labor
with the propelling forces of steam and
electricity that more than eight hours
day are necessary 10 industry.
Persistence wins. No power no
matter how strongly entrenched was
ever able to withstand a rightful cause
when persistently pressed forward
We hold that the trades union move
ment to be for the reclamation of the
full rights of American citizenship and
we aver that nothing less than persis.
tent effort shall hereafter be put forth
to maintain full protection to every
member of our organization
Further We wish to state that any
agreement entered into and signed be
tween any organization of organized
labor and the employer of labor in this
city, said scale or agreement having
been endorsed by the Trades and La.
bor assembly of Otutmwa, will be car
ried out on our part to the letter. The
contracts and agreements made from
time to time in this city have been al.
most invariably adhered to by the or.
gained employed and have been al.
most as repeatedly broken by many
of the employers, whose neither writ
ten and signed contract seem to be
sacred. We defy any honest contra
diction to these statements.
Ottumwa Trades and Labor AS
sembly,
By, ]. w. Kitto, President