The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-01-27
= DULL SEASON BUSY BY LIBERAL ADVERTISING.

follow any other pursuit than that
Of his father. in 1870 the Act Of
Settlement attached the laborer to
the locality in which he lived. Be
tween 1895 and 1900 laws were
passed making it crime for la
borers e contract for higher waqes
than were prescribed by the justi-
ces Of the peace. In 1914 the act
requiring justices to fix wages was
repealed but it was in the interest Of
the employers. Not till 1875 was
labor entirely emancipated. Before
that time the laborer was liable to
civil as well as criminal action if he
broke his contract, while the em-
.ployer could violate his contract at
will.
"T'he history of labor organiza-
tion begins with the gilds i'll eighth
century, in the 18th century
the crafts gilds assumed
Importance and gave protection to
workers.
In I247, the property Of the
trade gilds was confscated BY
Henry VIII and their treasure
swept into tn Golfers of the mon
arch to be squandered. In 1901
thestatutes Of thePoor taxed the. s.la-
borer to maintain the eyed and in
digent. The law in 1925 removed
the ban against labor Unions and in
1875 a law was passed in England
placing laborers and employers OH
the same footing
"The history Of labor organiza-
tions in the United States is not
marked by the disgraoeful features
that existed in England Here
laborers received fair wages from
colonial days. If the 1aborer S
wages were not sufficient, he could
become an Independent farmer and
this protected him. Our first labor
organization was in 1908 and the
movement began on larger scale
in 1925. Between 1860 1880 labor
unions made great progress and to-
day they are larger and more thrift
ty than ever before, and the there
are more intelligent laborers in the
unions in the United States than
ever before in their history. They
cherish the hope Of yet bringing all
the laborers into their fold"
The speaker here told the story
Of the mud man, the moral Of which
was we viii yet fix the scab, if he
doesn't run off before he is finish
ed" He then continued:
Labor unions are founded on
principles Of self-defense, they are
for protection, not for aggression.
For FIVE centuries labor was ground
down under the heels Of avarice,
but labor, like Hercules in ancient
fable, turned against its foes and
today it is invincible. Why should
not labor organize for protectlon2
Doctors, lawyers, manufacturers,
bankers. merchants organize and
they have a right to organize.
Capital has the right to organize,
why not labor2 This brings up
the question, if labor unions are
justified, why not trusts and mo-
noplies. The answer is easy. /
may justify the surgeon who uses
the knife to save my life without
iustifying the assassin who lays
his knife at my throat to slay me.
I may justify the navy that sinks
the enemy's ships without justify
ing the acts Of the pirate who de-
stroys for the sake Of plumber. I
may justify labor unions that pro-
tect labor without justifying trusts
and monopolies that prey on man
kind. Trusts are for offensive
purposes, labor unions for de-
fense. There is a wide difference
between the objects and principles
of trusts and labor unions diff
ference as great as that between
light and darkness, life and
death.
"Itis as unnecessary to viudi-
cate labor unions as it is to vihdi-
crte the sun in the heavens which
mades the earth fit habitation for
man, 'By their fruits ye shall
know them. The fruits Of labor
unions vindioate their own exist
.ence.