The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-01
and intelligence stunted and the intellectual, in
dustrlal, commercial and political standing of ou1
country almost annihilated.
In;n


dustrlal commercial and political standing of our
country almost annihilated.
Unions Bring Peace.
In spite Of strikes here and there, organized
labor has established and is establishing great
er degree of uninterrupted industrial peace by
agreement with employers. Such agreement i'm
plies; the organization Of the working people in
factories, shop, mill or mine, for an organized
body of workmen can only enter into an agree
ment with employers and faithfully abide by and
carry into execution the terms of such agree
ment when all the workingmen Of an employer,
at least in any given plant, are adj members of
the union1: >Gfz&r 49, r.s3-'T III 80 aeGs 49,
The ~so-called .open shop makes agreement
with the employers timpracttcable, II. not I'M
possible. for the union cannot be responsible FOR
the n-unionists whose conduct often renders the
terms of the agreement ineffective and nugatory.
The agreement or joint bargain Of organized
labor with employers depends for Its success not
only upon, the good will Of the union and the
employer toward each other. but that neither
shall be subject to the irresponsibil1ty or lack
Of intelligence Of the non-untonist or his failure
to act in concert with and bear the equal respon-
sibility Of the unionists.
The right of the nonunionist to work, when
and for whom he pleases, carries with it the
logical right of the unionist to work or refuse
to work when, where and for what he pleases,
and with whom he pleases. 49,.
Deprecate Use Of Force.
To a nonunionist despite that which his adj
vocates say for him, cannot be attributed the
virtue of helping his fellow workmen or con-
tributing toward the establishment of more
rightful relations between workingmen and their
employers. No force but that Of persuasion and
moral and Intelligent influence should be e1er-
| cised to convert the nonunionst to membership
in our organization, but 1t is hurtful from every
| view point and to every enlightened interest,
| to advocate the ''Open shop"
| AS the immortal Lincoln said: ''This country
| cannot long remain half free and half slave
| 50 say we, that any establishment cannot long
remain be successfully operated part union
| and part nonunion. - -.
|
1 tive council and by appointment a conference
was held with the President of the United States
for the purpose of discussing important labor leg
islation. The eighthour bill was considered at
| length, the president stating that his mind had
not changed on that form Of legislation since he
had favored 1t as Governor of New York, and
therefore, was favorable to- the passage Of the
proposed act
! On the anti-injunction bill, in response to
questions submitted, the president replied the
subject would have his most careful and earnest
| attention. ..-s ..s
The Miller Case.
| Other important questions affecting legislation
| as per decision Of the last convention were
| taken up and behalf of the international
Bookbinder's union, the Miller case was dis
cussed. The executive council brought to the
presidents attention the manner in which his
decision had been quoted, and in addition to the
relationship Of Mr. Miller to the bookbinders
union, brought forth in the charges agains
him, the "open shop idea carefully con
sidered. Replying to statements on the subject
President Roosevelt set forth that In his deci
sion he had nothing in mind but strict com
pliance with, federal, including civil service
law, and that he recognized the difference be-
tween employment by the government, circum
scribed by those laws, and any, other form Of
employment and that his decision in the Miller
case should not be understood to have any other
effect or influence than affecting direct employ
ment by the government in accordance Herewith
He furthermore made plain that in any form
of employment excepting that so circumscrbel
4 he believed the full employment of union mer
was preferable either to nonunion "oper
shops ....- -s.... --E Xxx
| Stand for Union Shops.
In view Of the publicity given this subject
the executive council of the American Federatio,
of Labor takes this opportunity to say that thu
trades union movement stands for the strictly
union shop, experience having proved that wher,
the topen shop system has been tried reduc
lions in wages and profits have ensued wifi
general disaster to the industry practicing tina
system, and therefore declares that the best in
terests of the labor movement call for the EN-
ployment of union workers and discourapes 1,
! every way, shape and form the deteriorating eff
fects which follow the recognition of the .sope,
| shops
The toiling masses, especially the organize,
wage earners, cannot, must not and will no
, surrender one jot of that which they have SO
cured; must organize the yet unorganized unit
Il and federate those already organized to presen
; a solid phalanx Of the grand army of labor il
earnest and emphatic protest against indicia
usurpation capftalistfc invasion of our righ r.
attempted no matter by whom or whatsoeve
source. The hope for right and Justice here
/ after. as well as the perpetuation of liberty
and our republican institutions lies In organiza
labor. 800
Therefore, with the consciousness of the ius
| tice and soundness Of our position we appea
to the Judgment of all men, and particnjari
, to the toilers of America that they organize
: unite ana Iederate without regard to their trade
calling, nationality, locality, sex, politics, colo
1 or religion.