The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-09-10
PRESIDENT Nell Len OF NORTHTRN
= PACIFIC TALKS TO WORkINGNEN
Some Good Common Sense On This Much Debated and Often
Holly Discussed Question Of Labor and Capital
BY Railroad President
Tells Labor Men That the Trouble With Unonism Is It's In
tolerance, and to Succeed In This World One
Must Bear and Forebear.

courage within himself to carve his
own way. There are many working
men who can earn more than they do
whose employers would gladly pay
| them more, only they have become
classified, and an advance to them
means an advance also to their ineffi-
! c1ent associates of a similar class,
making 1t often too formidable mat
ter for consideration. When I say I'M
ions do much good, I mean they help
the lame, the halt and the weary at
the expence of the really competent.
| D1vested OF all claptrap, the union is
Simply a means Of averaging wages,
and an employer views it as such. It
| ts device for making those who are
! willing to work care for those who
want to SOLDIER On the principle that
! every man must have living some
how, In place Of making the communi-
: ty contribute support openly, to which
process there attaches some discre1it,
the really efficient workmen OF class
receive less for their services and thus
help support those who are unable to
earn as much under normal conditions
| through establishing scale of aver
ages.
unoIns Have Come to Stay.
Now, having hurt the feelings of
some Of you by the foregoing, am go
Ing to surprise you by saying that I
regard the unions as a condition that
has come to stay; that have no pre-
JUDGE whatever to properly conducted
ones, and express my wish that our
men generally would join them Not
that would run union plant as such,
Tor would not coerce my men or con-
sent to discrimination as between those
VINO were and were not members. but
l would wish to have in the unions
the conservative influence of many of
the good men who are out, to counter
act the floater, the anarchist, the man
who has nothing at stake in the world,
who works with his mouth more than
with. his hands.
THE trouble with unioism is it's in
tolerance. To succeed in this world
one must bear and forbear. The same
spirit of intolerance that fills the I'M
ion man toward the nonunion is what
history shows us to have prevailed
ages ago in religion, in race prejudice
and In other ways. The cry Of the
union or the hospital has it's counter,
part In that of the older one Of the
| church or the stake It Is through the
| elimination of the feeling that physical
force Is necessary to the ACCOMPLISH
! ment OF results that real progress is
! made. The time when brute strength
! shall rule is becoming a thing Of the
past. You hurt unreasonable your
cause when you descend to violence in
1Hlanguage~ Or action. TT fs*mostH dis
couraging to men of ability. It is re-
pressive and oppressive, and puts
many OF little wit and less ability into
positions they are untitled for and
| keeps out those who are more deserv-
ing and competent. It deteriorates the
service. I fail to understand why
! young men assent to a rule that re-
quires them to grow old in one line of
employment before recognition be-
! comes possible, no matter how we'll
deserved. The result makes for dissa-
tfsfaction, for change and for the
large floating class in each grade of
employment, with the responsible po-
| sitions filled by old men,
Organized Labor Causes Trusts.
mo one interest has done more to
! promote the trust or combination. the
| larger corporation, than organized la
| Dor. 1t has forced them into existence
for protection from exactton. And to
what does it all tend? Given ali your
notheads seek and there will be no
one to employ you, and public corpora =
lions must be run by the Government
| capital Will not seek Investment where
nothing but loss and controversy Is
to result. The rule Of the radical will
not prevail. The hothead must be re-
tired, Or In the contest in which he
Will involve you you will go down in
defeat. The contest will not be deter
mined by numbers. Education and
brains will outweigh numbers and
Drawn. The specialized student is ia
be the general Of future armies; cap
tafns Of industry may not always be
those who have worked with their
hands. Resort to force gives the brute
that is in us ascendancy. You NAV
achieve the temporary success at the
cost of permanent loss, for you can
not drive bad bargain with man
who knows his business, and to force
FOR your services more than they are
worth Is to invite ultimate disaster,
MY advice to you who have fam
lilies, who have stake In the world. Is
to join your unions and make your
selves felt in them. Be always a force
for conservatism. It seems to me as
much in your interest to do this AZ
that you shall attend the caucus and
nominate good men for office and vote
for them at the polls. Your apathy is
the opportunity of the demagogue. the
anarchist, the floater, who has nothing
to lose. Whatever tends to better tho
condition Of labor must command thu
earnest and honest consideration oil
every right-minded man.
Brightest Minds Studying Labor Que.
Il ton.
Il The brightest minds, the most prac.
teal. are studying the subject. and tbs
great progress made by organized la.
Dor to my mind has been not by secur.
Ing an increase of wages here and
VI there h11f nv AZ e