The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-09
FULTON REVIEWS
TRAGEDY OF LABOR
Pastor of Central Presbyterian
Church breaches to Labor
Organizations

liam Iempieman, OIL the 81. Paul
Trades and Labor assembly, described
as "the fairest, frankest statement of
the subject ever heard from the pull
pit" DR.. John M. Fulton, pastor of the
last night. .erhe Tragedy of Labor, or a
Review of the Past" He said, in part:
By this subject do not mean to select
out of the ages all the hardships and
wretchedness that labor has suffered, but
rather to survey the field and give the
steps by which labor has come to it's pres
ent condition. Perhaps the subject should
first have a word of limitation
The human race is labOring race. The
vast majority of the human family today
are laborers. Some are manual laborers,
others mind laborers. am unwilling that
I should be thought to overlook the brain
workers. or to be understood as saying
hardShipS are the manual laborers. When
you think of Milton getting SAC for para
disc Lost, there, indeed, is brain hard
ship.
Brain work is the hardest of all work.
When workman goes home with tired
body he can eat and sleep, if he has food
and bed, and arise refreshed; but when
the brain works on, not only ten, hours,
but sixteen and eighteen hours a day, and
then reeling and throbbing refuses to rest
when the man filings himself on his couch
manual labor knows nothing.
SO that the clerks, the journalists and
teachers and preachers and lawyers and
doctors have grievance against manual
labor when 1T turns the cold shoulder on
brain workers and assumes to itself the
whole field and domain of labor and it's
tragedies.
And then, too there are capitalistic la
borers. do not suppose that any factory
hand 1abors so hard and expends so much
vitality or goes home with such weary
ac he, nrn tO1- ,f
the factory who has invested his thou
sands of capital in the institution and for
whom it is either succeed or fail. hope
none of us will forget these things, while
L omit them from this discourse and
speak only of manual labor in it's hardships
and struggles.
After reviewing briefly the history of
labor, DR.. Fulton said:
Not till 1924 were conspiracy laws re-
pealed, and then trades unions began TO
be formed and labor began to organize for
self-protection and better wage. When
labor began to do this capital retaliated
with the iron clad oath,'' the lockout
capital compelled laborers to pledge them
selves most solemnly to have nothing to
do with labor organizations. By the
LOCKOUT capital attempted to force labor
to submit to its terms or Starve. By the
black list capital let loose the dogs of
persecution against laborer, and wherev-
for work his name and description had
preceded him. and everywhere he was
turned away until he lost heart and hope
L do not make wholesale and indiscrim-
mate charges against capital and capiSal-
lsts. There have been many, many noble
employers of labor; capitalists who have
tried to do right and fair, and have stood
In the breach and endured sacrifice for
their Workmen. They have lifted their,
voice and cried out against the wrongs,
But what could they?. The system of in
was grinding them into the dust. They
nave called their workmen together and
talked with them like brothers. Il have
put. my capital in this plant; am 1leces-
sar1ly in competition with that rival plant
In neighboring town. I found out that
my rival was underselling me and taking
afford it, and found out that he had cut
down the price of labor. must either do,
the same, or go to the wall, and leave you
voorhees,
Hundreds, thousands of cases like that
heaven pity and bless them-their heart is
right but their way is hard. Competition
Is mliistone, grinding them like wheat ,
WHAT weapon has labor with which to
meet all this? Since 1924, organization.
Trades unions. Banding together for their
own interest and protection. who can
hold and encourage them? 1t is their only
hope and protection. When they got strong
enough enough to strike blow of retaliation
struck hard-they did not reason p1rai ntich lllIy
They were not. educated enough to rea-
SON. son, .ney simply said pay us what we
Inc result was, in the early history of
StrlkeS, we had a great deal of riot. arson.
pIoodshed, gunpowder, kerosene oil, dyna-
This was Observation-Disclosures to
their own cause The world denounced it;
clvlIlzatlon denounced it. Organized labor
pronted by the criticism. and capital prof
tied by its loss, and became more carefi,l
ana aae thought longer before again reducing
Purposes They Serve
t,s with lth. the growth of intelligence and by
the lessons of experience labor organiza.
Ilons nave grown wiser in their actions
ana @ nave gained favor with the public
Ihey serve a. fourfold purpose: First,
! as penent Observation-Disclosures the poor
and sick; second. as educa tional associa-
tlonS for discussion, debate. disseminating
| lntesligence I'M gen and comparing views: third,
| as health agencies, promoting health. com,
fort and safety of men in the shops. and.
Iourth, as agencies for increasing wages
and shortening hours
!hey nave certainly succeeded in Short
| Sg Ssnlng the hours, and on the whole have
been successful in maintaining wages
4 often increasing them
| Unionism is labor's standing army. and
a standing army is good for nrotection
even though it may not be called upon to
nght. Its very presence is a preserving
| The labor army has done some fighting
| occaslonally-entirely too frequently for
It's own good and of the public Both
siaes are learning to be cautions. Strikes
|
expensive to labor, expensive to society.
/ But strikes have had a mission. About
% per cent of all strikes in this country
! nave been successful; and even the fail,
ureS have not wholly failed. for the at
tentlon of society, of press. of govern
ment has been called to labor,s erievanees
4 and every great strike brings US nearer The
| solution of these labor problems. We
/ are coming to see that society has rights
ana VIII soon say to both capital and
! labor, you must submit your case for
arbitration and abide by the decision. y
Problems Being Studied
/ Labor, through It's organizations. has
| made distinct and tremendous gains LEI
DOR problems are being studied todav a 9
1 never before. Social science is enga pinsy
| the attention OF scholars and statesmen
| of church and state. Capital Is heinz.
nedged and restricted by law while Iegis-
lation Is more and more faporing labor
| The sympathies of the people, the great
| heart of humanity, beats responsive to
labor's slifferings and labors cause; and if
| labor is wise, patient and perseyering.
| Its victory is sure and that, too, without
riot and bloodshed.''
Labor's tragedies have not all been in
| other ages-there are tragedies today:
! tragedies of coal diggers working ali
month in slime and fetid atmosphere and
then finding themselves in debt to the
company's store; tragedies in sweat shops,
tolling where beasts ought not to live;
| tragedies of needlewomen making shirts at
20 cents per dozen and furnishing their
own thread, and finishing off fancy coats
/ at 4 cents each.
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