The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-06-06

Il as we'll as power. define and regu-
| late that power, and make the union
an auxiliary II the preservation of
ability and discipline and the ami
cable adjustment Of all local disputes
Where employers have accepted the
| union IN this spirit, they have found
it easy to deal with, and powerful
cooperating agency for good, and both
owners and workmen have advanced
in reaSOnableness and in mutual help
fulness. THE UNION CANNOT BE
CRUSHED. The trust" likewise is
a factor Of business life. The two
must work side by side, and hand in
hand go peaceably along together.
SOciety's efforts should be directed,
not to crushing combinations OF capt
tai or combinations of labor, but to
preservation of the good ones which
wh0IesOmely DO their share of the
rword's work. and to regulation and
reformation of those which show bad
tendencies. Above all, the leaders OF
combinations OF both capital and la
Dor should prove to the country that
hes are able to get along together
in peace and harmony. so that disas~
| tween them may not provoke society
INTO saying-"A plague O both your
houses
| Employers of labor VINO refuse TO
| recognize labor unions attempt to
Justify their action on the preteXt
that the labor unions, being unincOr
porated, are irresponsible. ana can
give no guarantee that such contracts
| as are made with them, will be car
ried out in good faith; again. they say
| that The labor unions stife ambition
| by fixing a uniform rae OF wages for
all regardless Of their efficiency or
! their ability to work. These argu
ments have been advanced by the an
| Jhracile coal mine operators. But q
! labor union, ike an individual. is TO
| be judged By the life it has lived.
The charge that the labor organiZa
tons limit ambition and stifie genius
T., equally incorrect. The labor union
does aOt attempt to fix q maximum
scale Of wages. but il does fix a mini
mum scale. If any Of its members
develop unusual skill. if some are
more efficient than others, the en-
plOycrS are at perfect liberty to re-
wages than called for b., our agree
ments. As a mater Of tact, there is
little room for such objections in
many Industries. as he vast proper
many industries as many are en-
ployed on contract OF peace work.
and, consequently, earnings are
measured largely by the amount If
labor actually performed.
The fundamental error OF capital
is its unwillingness 10 cCncede the
right Of labor to organize and 10 act
through its organization as the, act
themselves We are living in the age
Of combination. of consolidation Of
federation; labor is following III the
Footsteps Of its partner capital The
labor organizations do not oppose.
or even look with disfayOr, upon com
blnati0n CT capital: they recognize il
as natural sequence Of the evil Ell
fectS OF disastrous competition. La
Dor is simply keeping pace with III
industrial deVclOpmenL Of our times,
and he is rash indeed who seeks to
plant himself as an obstacle 80 the
current Of progress Capital fnds
strength in unity, the average stock
holder merging all his influence il
the giant corporation. Following the
same Instinct. labor organizes. min
imizing the individual for the good OF
the whole, and asserts its right to |
speak and acJ collectively. A great |
organization or a large number of !
smaller unions affiliated, is in one
sense reflex Of public opinion it
self; it is the public opinion OF those !
industries affiliated.