Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-06-23
A Straight Talk on Trade Unions.

A Straight Talk on Trade Unions.
The gospel of common sense has
never, to our knowledge, been so
well and aptly applied in the
exposition of trades unionism, it's
defects as we'll as it's virtues, as in
a recent address to workingmen by
President Mellen, of the New
Haven Railroad. The speaker
took the ground, as he had per-
feet right to do, that he was as
much of a workingman as any of
those whom he addressed; that he
spoke as one who knew from long,
personal experience of the difficult
ties, anxieties and burdens which
every one must encounter who
earns his daily bread. He pointed
out frankly the ,yeakness of the
unions, at the same time frankly
admitting their advantages where
properly guided.
This is the age of the working
man, Mr.. Mellen said, and also
the age of large opportunities for
every man who brings to his work
and alert mind, and earnest soul
and faithful spirit. Modern in
dustrial conditions are such, the
stress upon the men atthe top is so
exacting, that the latter soon wear
out, and the call is constantly for
new men to fill the place of the
old. But the men wanted for
these higher branches of service
are not the iirebands, the trouble
breeders, the takers, but rather
the quiet men who work while
others do the talking; those who
are as much interested in their
work as their wages; and such men
when found need no help from any
source to either recognition of in
crease of pay. Speaking directly
to members of the union. Presi-
dent Mellen said that he wished
them to understand that he re-
garded the unions as Il condition
that has come to say, and that he
desired his men generally to join
them. He did not, however, re-
gard these labor organizations as
an unmiXed blessing. Said he:
They are a good thing for the
drone, the inefficient man, for the
walking delegate and the officers, but
are unnecessary for the man who has
the stuff and courage within himself to
carve his own way in the world.
Therefore, when say unions do much
good | mean they help the lame, the
halt and the weary, at the expense of
the really competent. Divested of all
clap trap, the union is simply means
of averaging wages, and an employer
views it as such. 1t is a device for
making those who are willing to work
care for those who want to soldier"
The chief trouble with unionism,
President Mellen said, was its in
tolerence. Its conduct toward
those who differed with it had been
too often that of the religious
bigots of the old time who burned
those whom they could not con-
vert. He advised thinking, sober
minded, conservative workingmen
to join unionsand endeaver to dom
mate their councils, which are now
too often controlled by hot-heads,
anarchists, fioaters and demago-
CUES. The danger to be appre-
hended from the unions, he said,
! grows out of the apathy of sane
and reasonable men in their mem
bership who remain at home and
permit fire-eaters and self seekers
to speak and act for them.
1t is foolish and useless to try to
suppress trades unions on the one
hand as it is to endeavor to abolish
trade combinations on the other.
Both are here to remain as surely
as the tides are to flow, and the
only sensible rule for right minded
men to follow is that advised by
President Mellen. Join such of
these combinations as your inter
ests dictate, and do your part in
overcoming their evils and enlarg-
ing their benefits. ts.-Leslie's Week
ly.