The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-11-05
THE STRIKE
AND THE BOYCOTT,
The Church AS Well As the
Labor Unions Use
Them.

In the dealing with the labor ques-
ton. our critics.. for the alleged acts
Of a few. would denounce and refuse
to grant the many the right to orga-
nfze. They who are most concerned In
obJecting to unions are men who own,
or control, large accommodations of
wealth, organized for the purpose Of
manufacturing 'for sale" and not for
use all commodities, increasing at their
pleasure the prices Of the same, and
also decreasing the wages of their
employees, who by their labor produce
the commodities, showing conclusive
ly the benefits Of organization.
Long columns Of rhetorical display
appear In the capitalistic press; in
forms us at great length that these
trusts" are lllegal-an that we are
aware of-but beyond the said display
in our "liberty-loving PRESS and an
action now and then IN the courts to
curb these unlawful organizations, no.
thing is done, and their promoters"
managers, directors, ct al, are in high
positions and are apparently honored
in the community.
But how with the labor union?
The police, militia, and even the re-
gular army, have been turned over
completely to the service Of these ILL
legal combinations of capital" then
our liberty-lovers are silent; no notice
of men deported for asserting their
rights as to when and where they shall
work, of men wounded, men killed,
and women maltreated:: These OUT
RACES are the effect 81 some cause, they
8 M ~ ~ 1T ,,1S NJ, ~ -
the#do tor the unions these
crimes t - the union Would Sc lall right.
This is atfme-Worn argument and one
that is used by the narrow minded
and prejudiced, who can most always
be recognized by the positions they
hold, drawing their salaries and con-
Victions from The same sources.
conn .ison Of organized bodies
will reflect credit on the labor unions.
In every few cases where large bodies
of men are organized has there been
80 little to criticize as with the union.
The very few malefactors in their
history would be but poor reason to
offer for their disruption. The prin-
ciples of the unions are such as would,
and do make better, morally and in
tellectually, all who take their obliga-
lions, for their principles contemplate
the advancement Of the classes ir-
respective Of creed, color or rationale
ty. No church will wish to be judged
by her poorest members. 1t is refresh
ing to note that occasionally labor has
it's champions In other fields.
Dean Hodges, Of the Episcopal Theo-
logical College at Cambridge, Mass,
recently said: THE church has made
use Of the strike and the boycott. The
union has never in it's moments of
deepest anger, spoken of the 'scab' as
bitterly as the churches have spoken
Of the hereto. Both the churches and
the unions ask to be judged by their
best works and not by their worst ones.
Both should be the servants Of the
people: both should gain their ends by
reason and patience and sympathy"
Indeed, the last sentence of the rev.
erend gentleman is precept that
should be nurtured in the union in
times Of trouble more than ever; the
practice Of such would often result in
victories instead Of defeat, and we
would indeed be true to the ideals OF
the best in our movement. Individual
ism has no place in the movement, and
its practice in times of trouble is not
only demoralizing to the individual,
but to the cause and he who seeks to
turn aside a great movement for his
personal benefit, finds himself with an
| Isolated "corporaIs guard who in
time will desert him as he deserves
The disappointing affairs of the past
year might have been expected, but on
| the whole we have no cause to feel
at all disappointed. 1t is a refining
| process from which those who are loyal
will become more so, if possible, and
our army Of militant union men will
be larger than ever, and we will then
realize the real virtue of our cause
We cannot accomplish great deal in:
dividually either in peaceful times OF
during strike. The orders Of on,
chosen leaders must necessarily be
obeyed In order to insure success.
| WILLIAM F. CLIFFORD.
Local SO, Steam Engineers, Newark
! N. Y. 49,