Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-02-12
LABOR IN POLITICS.
Members of Unions Can Dp VI int Tn
ions should Not ndtrful.t

Members of Unions Can Dp W int Tn
i"n~ should Not Undertake.
In answer la a-qur~,iou tg0u the
editor et tbe New York Jouraa .h,
following communications wga, FeHeie-
ed and Iun55sHel. with others.
i The nrma.4 object az trad' g1t.a
IS To sgcurg t5erourH oI t9tt5fs.g-tz- ff5.r-
re-diH.H- Of his pewt ii eeulrf# #a.,t
tho ~,ee ut tIe uHe. ~N5U Iui -.l.as
-et tic -tytt4eAet>.,= 4.t, 1#-...s
OF the greatest ,aeAeI.e!lt> nr lazs-s...
/ Ere" @eY"rHgaut Wa>l ,=es lumda. ~
/ the industrial and seeai teeedu'at=e3=.l,.-
! Political Sovereignty ami .Haas,r5ul
! and social servitude aro taau .Hp1~-J-
I HE.
P"litica! sovereignty WIS .HaHSdf9fel
in this country at a t.u1c Whom tho
great body of people were indHstrialIy
and socially free, rs the wage serving
class increased demaeracy diminished.
The first and most Important work
! for the waEcWorkrrS is the building up
| of the trade unions To the level ot pow.
| cr necessary to secure for the wage
workers tie full part of all of the adj
| valtt;ts,es of 4 higher civilization.
The introduction of partisan politics
into the trade union means division of
| the union on party lines division
means destruction.
Capitalists arc not partisaus. The
great body of bankers, brokers specJi-
lators, railroad kings and coal barous,
| etc, who voted and bought votes for
4
vote and buy votes for the Democratic
candidate or any other man of his
kind. Capitalists are Republicans in
one state and Democrats in another.
Those members of the trade unions
who are citizens are in duty bound to
carry the principles of unioniSm into
the exercise of their sovereign rights
as citizens
Keep politics. whether Republican,
Democratic or Socialistic, out of the
| trade union. and the trade unions will
| compel such political action as they de-
! sire when they have the power of or
| ganiZation Just rs the capitalists com
| pei legislation in their interest where
! they have the power so to do.-George
| e. McNeill
If 10y going into politics" is meant
committing the entire membership of
the organizations to the support of Ger
tain political principles and candidates.
tl.en=I ~er .azso" to tl!e query,
'Shoald labor unions "a into polte>:"
If the question Wer". Sliou}a union
,,oa carry tIleir =i2s3l>. "ial grievances
illto i1e.....,.z1> aud vote fer Tire party and
cansi1'}al"s whose records and pledges
shoWeei Tie greatest Friendship for la
hor? then | would answer Yes.
IN etE@r ue;@ls. l do nat believe the
unions should 90 ileo politics. but do
believe that unioaistS should do So
Unions are net organized as branches
OF Il political party. and the majority
| has no more right to insist upon evCry
member subscribing 10 certain political
doctrines than it has to compel them to
adopt special religious creed. Be
sides, such Il course would make re.
cruting new members for Ill" union
that much more difficult
On the other hand. intelligent union
men should recognize that through the
tSN VI tlIt lI'tlIt'l Hes safest tilt! SUI
est road to Improvement Of industrial
conditions. ;nd every such man should
strive to bring lis fellow unionists to
that rational view.
If in that way union can be tempo
rarily pledged by unanimous consent
to certain candidates, we'll and good.
but for {; union to declare itself in pol
| itics while there was one dissenting
| member wonid be contrary to the poll
| cy which has made unions successful.
| l may think that the union man who
votes with the party Of plutocracy is
doing the cause of labor more harm
than if he turned scab or striIi" break
or. but so long as he is loyal to = W.
ion obligation which hav" ~ right
to alter over his protest. &; 5: sry ~
be charitable and ch;"-,, Ei; ils.a,
ency to Ignorance. One Gin" = cor
tain-l cannot drive htin into t1.#. r. 1t
way and l may s19@sh tie u. o. : |
try that coarsu Wiz -,'u=244 r.
Buchanan.