The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-05

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morsel under their tongues, and or
ganized labor was held up to ridicule.
The bank president walks off with mil
lions, and no one has yet made it a
charge against the bankers asSocia-
ton.
Only a few years ago, and organ
lied labor was practically unknown in
North Carolina. Today we find the
leading trades organized in the cities
and larger towns and the work is but
commenced.
But you ask, How about strikes?
believe in strikes. And l will say fur
ther, that no man has any business in
the ranks of organized labor who is
not a firm believer in strikes. | am
not here to say that there are not ill.,
advised strikes, that there are not
strikes where organized labor is in the
wrong. But l do say. and most en-
phatlcally, that there are fewer MS
takes made by organized labor along
this line than by the employers. a
strike is labor's last resort, and is
never wholly lost for if it accom-
plished nothing more, it was a whole
some lesson OF capital tna1 labor, how
ever humble, was not yet ready to bow
in abject servitude.
Then, when you come to contemplate
what is gained by organized labor
without recourse to a strike you will
begin to appreciate the great work that
is being accomplished by organized Ia
Dor, and you will begin to recognize
i'm the Inen who are the leaders in the
labor movement a devotion to duty
and the welfare of their felloWWork-
ers seldom witnessed among men. TO
illustrate: When | became a member
of Raleigh Typographical Union the
minimum scale was $14 per week and
l., 4 L,
en- men received more than the scale.
Today the minimum scale for hand
composition is SIS per week and eight
and a quarter hours (and it will be
eight hours after January 1, 1906).
and SIG per week for day and SIT for
night work at eight hours per day on
machines, and three-fourths at least
r"Ceiy- ages ir excess Of tho s''Hip
Now, all this was accomplished with
cur strike. Does any sane man he.
lieve Tor a moment that it would have
teen possible to have accomplished
this much for the printers of Raleigh
by any other method than organiza-
ton?
While the primary object Of organ
lied labor is, of course, the bettcring
of the condition of its members, yet we
stand for others things that are of vital
interest to the whole people. Organ
ucation, is most bitterly opposed to the
system of child labor as practiced in
the mills of the State, i sOpposed to-
and is the friend of
every reform movement for the up
lifting of humanity.
And now I come to the discussion OF
a subject that most vitality Affects the
labOring classes of this State, and eS-
pecially organized labor. For years
Ioxr SiStn tlxv n Ixric hn -
ers to steer clear of partisan politics,
Tor this is the rock upon which many
another reform movement has met its
doom. But we cannot longer blind
ourselves to the fact that in a govern
ment like ours, where the people are
the sovereigns. if we ever hope &c
bring about the reforms for which We
stand, We must takea hand in politics
Let me give you few pointers
There are today in the ranks of or
Ganized labor in North Carolina more
men by far than are to be found III
the professions and all the business
callings combined. ] nthe ranks OF
labor, organized and unOrganized, is,
the great mass of the citizenship of
the State, not even exceeded in num-
bers by the farmer Now, where are
we at politically? In all the varied
departments of our State govern
merous institutions, from the heads
of the departments and institutions
down to the janitorS, how is this great
class of our citizenship represented?
BY one lone man, b. r. Lacy the
State Treasurer. And how did he get
there? l will tell you. The working
people Of North Carolina put him
there, and if they are alive to their
interests and would show their APP
probation of the best friend they
have today, and the only friend they
have at court" they will put him in
the Governors chair in 1908.
And now, my fellow uniontStS, In
conclusion l want to say to you that
you represent a great class of the cit
.zenshlp OF this State-a class which
has ever ben the bulwark of the lib
critics of the people; class that III
peace and war has ever been the
strength. and support of our govern
ment. The vast majority of you must
ever remain toilers; few may hope to
gather wealth or attain unto positions
of power and influence. But you have
it in your power to make better con-
dtions for those who come after you
by standing firmly on the platform ds
enunciated by organized labor. Hold
sacred your obligations to your broth
er toilerS, assert your rights as men
and ever remember that character
alone is the supreme test.