The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-12-09
Open WARFARE IS
BEING WAGED
Against Trades Unionism by
Manufacturers Asso-
ciAtions.
Servile Lawyers, Judges and
p the Public Press Are Work
ing In Favor of This Object.

uOuUlcu VI uSu1cu. uc1I ld"y
are trying to outlaw labor, their
judges are judging against 1t and
their press is knocking against it and
their preachers are preaching against
1t with all their might. At no time
within our memory has trades union
ism ever been subjected to such a
critical test. 1t is likewise true that
some of the weaker soldiers in the
cause of trades unionism, weary Of
the struggle, have concluded that
the price of freedom from Industrial
slavery is greater than they can pay,
but on the other hand there are those
sturdy optimistic giants upon whose
shoulders every reform of the past
has rested, who still declare that
the ends justify the means, and that
the struggle must go on and on or
the workers will sink to condition
far worse than they ever dreamed of
before. AS the fight progresses a
gradual change of sentiment takes
place, and when the smoke of battle
has cleared away it will be seen that
trades unionism has emerged strong
or and more deeply rooted than it
has ever been before.
Just ten years have elapsed since
the Pullman strike. 1t was thought
by many that organized labor had
at that time received death blow,
but it has since developed that, al
though the American Railway union
went down to defeat and dissolution
in the Pullman strike, it only paved
the way for powerful trades
unions, the like =, which had never
before been seen. Therefore we are
justified in drawing the conclusion
that when history repeats itself. the
present struggle against labor unions
being more bitter than that of 1894,
so will unionism come again with
greater force than ever before.
Unionists who remain unionists
throughout these trying times may
in years to come point to that fact
with pride, when the labor move
ment has grown so strong as to alb
sorb practically all of the workers.
There are others more experienced
who seem to share these views,
Frank Foster, of Boston, Mass, a
unionist of the old school, in season
and out of season, addressed the Chi
cago Federation Of Labor recently
as follows:
when I saw the tremendous wave
of organization in the city few
years ago feared that history would
repeat itself, that the movement
would be subjected to the universal
law, and that the tide would surely
ebb. 1t now apears that this is
just what has happened to the move
ment in Chicago.
eve in the labor movement have
much to learn, though this fact is
often disregarded. In the scientific
organization of crafts much good
will be accomplished for the working
people, but the inspiration and SEN
timent which lead men to organize
must be crystalized into practical
form. The organization movement
must be directed by Judgment and
the principles of common sense must
be applied or the inspiration alone
will not carry the movement to ulti-
mate triumph.
"The happy optimism of the peo-
pie who join labor unions, with
dreams of accomplishing great things
in hurry, soon spends itself and
reaction results. Because results are
not accomplished men think the or
ganiZations are worthless and are
dissatisfied because the dollars in
vested did not bring them fortunes.
II have watched the ebb and flow
of the tide of organization for many
years, and notwithstanding the many
time that unionism has had to re-
treat, there comes to me an assur-
ance that no power on earth, not
even the gathering force of Parryism
nor the weakness of our own move
ment-that we all know exists-can
provement Of the working craft
through organization. Don't draw
any lesson of Encouragement because
there is an ebb in the tide. The la
Dor movement is an evolutionary
one. Great gains have been made in
the past and will be made in the fu-
ture."
Henry Abrahams, secretary of
Boston Central Labor union, says:
1--WE trades unionists are to see
three of the hardest years that have
been viewed in the history of trades
unionism.
I'VE will emerge from the strug-
gle a great DEAL stronger than we
have ever been. The effort of cap
ital to crush labor unions has al
ways resulted in our being better
organized as an ultimate conclusion,
sz "The labor movement is like all
other movements. It has it's periods
Of prosperity and decline. It must
be admitted that this is the crucial
period of trades unionism.
s''lhe open shop is nothing new.
It means the non union shop, with
it's long hours, low wages and child
labor. It means the employer is tho
only one that can and should decide
what wages his employees should re-
ceive for whatever hours of toll he
(the employer) may name.
THE advent of a better day in
the recent. past for. the workmen OF
our country has been due absolutely
tos,the organization Of the workmen
4H is.-$s5 81