Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-19
UNIoNIsM AND SLuG,SM.

UNIoNlsM AND sLuGlsM.
George ]. Knott, former president of
the International Typographical union
and a member of the Chicago local,
writes an interesting article for the
Typographical Journal for September.
The Journal is the organ of the print
ers' union, sone of the Oldest and
strongest fabor organizations in the
country. Though just at present
strike is being carried on by this or
ganization, it's troubles are few and
lar between and the present fight has
been declared on fair and square
basis. The printers want an eight
hour day and the employers want
them to work nine hours. Without ref
erence to the present situation, the ar
ticle by Mr. Knott is of interest. as
regarding the transactions of another
union.
Mr.. Knott's article has to do with
the transfers strike, which was lost
by the union in Chicago, after hard
long, slugging, grating fight. He
says:
There are some lessons to be learn
ed from the events in the three
months struggle, the principal one be-
ing that it is unwise, inadvisable and
dangerous to pin faith in the outcome
of a strike relying on force and out
lawry, The right to strike in legi-
Innate cause is indisputable. Even
the employer must admit that. But the
right to win a strike by the pugnaci-
Gus arguments of educational commit
tees who rely on brick throwing and
pop bottle suasion as method of de-
monstrating that the striker is right
and the employer wrong, will sooner
or later come to grief through the
strong arm of the law and militant
power. 1t is an old saying that he
who lives among wolves will howl like
a wolf Some labor unions seem 10th
TIC admit the existence of any higher
authority than it's constitution and by
laws and as long as that impression
prevails it can expect nothing in re-
turn for its forceful handouts except a
return in kind, and it has no one to
blame but itself if it gets worsted Of
ficers of unions employing vigorous
physical measures to attain their ends
disavow the responsibility, but while
the denial looks we'll on paper and
serves as a basis for the claim that
unions are not accountable, the fact re-
mains that action is seldom taken to
convict it's guilty membership They
occupy the anomalous position of
winking at breaches of peace, while
loudly decrying violence, under the i'm
preston that they are deceiving them
selves and the public"
This is the calm and cool judgment
of man who has had years of expert
ence as union leader. He is of the
class of men that helps the union
movement forward and were all like
him there would be fewer strikes and
no rowdyism. His logic is clear and
concise, his position is secure. His
ideas may not, probably would not, be
endorsed by the teamsters, but the
public knows he is right Speaking of
the transfers strike. he gives his
readers some interesting information,
which explains, without any further
light upon the subject, the, real rea-
son for the failure of the transfers
strike. For no strike can succeed, no
matter how much money is back of it,
unless its principles and it's basis are
right Mr.. Knott's article continues as
follows:
The transfers union is martyr to
its own magnanimity They have
been used as catspaw to haul the
burning chestnuts of other unions
from the fire a number of times, and
the same idiom will apply that is used
in discussing the merits of prizefght.
ers-'They have met their man. The
teamsters were bought to 60 into the
fight to revivify the garment workers
lost cause. The bargain was plainly
put up to the other unions You pay
the strike benefits of the men involv.
ed in the trouble and we will inaugur.
ate "a sympathetic strike The propo
sition was unmistakable. The other
unions yelled in chorus. 'Hurrah
You're the stuff and it is prostitu
tion of unionism, when the garment
workers cause was lost. in the shuttle
to begin crying like whipped puppies
and raise the alarm that it is a fight
to exterminate unionism-that the life
of unionism is at stake, when, in fact
the life of slugism, not unionism was
at stake. The teamsters sought the
fight, they were whipped because they
could not use smuggling tactics without
interference of the constituted author
tiles, and they and all the other unions
should stand the defeat like men,"
HANGINGS IN IOWA.
Not for several wears has there been