The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1903-05-23

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in the cost of the necessities of
life, have risen 60! per cent; thus
it is easy to see that the laborer
is iG5 ror cent worse off, than he
was during the years of d9pres
sion.
Another reason why the labor
union must change it's tactics is to
be found in the changes that have
taken place III the political aspects
of the country There was once
a time when this glorious Repub
lie was based upon democratic
principles. 1t was once country
ruled by the people through their
representatives. 1t was once a
government of the people, by the
people, and for the people But
a great change has taken place,
for it is now country ruled by
the representatives of the money
ed classes, and "the people be
ID 1t is now a government of
the trust, by the trust and for the
trust.
The labor union, when 1t tries
to better the conditions of its
members by the "strike;" finds,
not only their employers but also
the power of government arrayed
against them; for the capitalistic
class own and control every Off
cial, from the lowest one in the
smallest municipality to the high
est one In the nation.
When the Union declares a
strike, the courts will issue an in
junction and forbid the labOrers to
leave their work. If strike is
on, and public opinion is with the
strikers, the trust will hire thugs,
as they did in the st. Louis street
car strike, to distioy their own
so they can put the
blame on the striker, and have an
excuse to get the protection of
the State Militia and shoot down
in cold blood the helpless men,
women, and children who are
battling for enough wages to keep
them from starvation. They are
permitted to use not only the
State, but also the national troops
to herd free citizens Of free Ameri-
ca, like cattle in a bull pen, be
cause they would not submit to
the tyrany of the men who claim
to own the silver and gold, that
the Creator has put i'll the earth
for the use of all mankind. They
can disobey the laws of the land
and carry Porto Rician slaves on
our railroads and force them to
work Oh sugar plantations i'll the
Hawaii islands; and this is all
done in country that is supposed
to have abolished slavery nearly
fourty years ago. They can blast
the lives of little children, in de
fiance of all law, by working them
in their mines and factories, or
reduce them to starvation in the
sweat shops of our large cities
They can dive our young women
to prostitution in the factories
and large department stores, by
forcing them to appear IN good
clothes, which they are unable to
get without the assistance of
gentlemen friends; their wages
being SO low that it will bearly
pay their room and board. Don't
say it is not so, for it can he
proved. Send to Washington
and get the official Report of the
Industrial Commission, year 1901,
Vol VIII "The Chicago Labor dis
putes," and you can see for your.
selves.
What methods are the unions
going to use, now that the monop
olies have become so strong that
even the government is compelled
to assist them IN driving the la
borer into slavery? What is the
union going to do, now that it
sees that the laws of the country
are only made to be obeyed by the
workers and the Capitallst-like a
king can do no wrong"7 Have
you not seen laborers sent to Jail
sor stealing loaf CT bread to
'eed hungry child; and gent
emanf?l from the west sent to the