Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-02-11
MENACE TO LABOR
CALAMITY. HoWLERs AND RADl.
GALS MUST BE HELD IN
+ CHECK.
John P. Reese, l.. P. Joyce and Thorn.
as ~. Flynn Address Open Meeting
in ottumwa Trades & Labor Assem-.
bly-Need of Education.

From Thursdays Daily.
''The calamity bowler. the kicker,
who kicks to be kicking and not be-
cause he has something to kick about,
does more from the inside to wreck
the labor organization than all outside
Influences" declared John P. Reese,
commissioner for Iowa coal operators
at an open meeting of the Ottumwa
Trades & Labor assembly held last
evening in labor hall. eff the organiza-
ton is ever wrecked these are the men
who will wreck it" he continued.
With Mr.. Reese at the meeting and
participating in 1t were L. P. Joyce,
vice president Of district 13 Of the
/ United Mine Workers Of America, and
Thomas H. Flynn, general organizer
for the American Trades & Labor AS
sembly. Each Of these men made
short talks and were attentively list
ened to by the labor men present.
Depends Upon Conservative Man.
"It is the conservative man upon
whom the future we'll being Of the Ia
Dor organization depends. 1t is the
radical element and the calamity
bowler who will, unless checked by the
more level headed members of the or
ganization, bring it into disrepute and
disrupt it.
i Education Is the one great safety
for the organization. The members Of
the labor union must educate their
/ children, teach them the fundamental
principles of the labor union and
above all teach them to be judges Of
business conditions.
Judge of Business Conditions.
"The labor man must educate him
self to be judge Of business condi-
TONS He must learn that he can not
expect an advance upon falling mar
ket and he must learn that the only
time that he can expect to get raise
in wages or shortening of the hours
of labor is upon rising market.
Elements of Good Leaders.
"The officers of the labor organize
ton to lead it successfully must see
and be two things. They must first be
good Judges OF the business conditions
of the interests in which they are con-
cerned. They must thoroughly realize
and understand industrial conditions
and be able to form safe estimates and
judgments upon them. Second, they
must have the backbone. once they
understand these conditions and know
what is best to be done, to stand by
that decision, even against the rank
and file Of the organization.
Mitchell Such Man.
president Mitchell is such a man.
He has the business sense to under
stand business conditions and he has
the backbone to stand up for his judg-
ment of these conditions. There Is
not fairminded man in the ranks Of
the miners today but what believes
that he was right a year ago when he
advised the acceptance of reduction
because he foresaw a changed bust
ness condition and declining mar
ket in prospect"
Father of the Idea.
Mr.. Reese was followed by Mr.
Joyce, the father of the labor union
idea in Iowa and for many years the
president of the Iowa mines workers
Mr.. Joyce heartily seconded Mr.. Reese
in his plea for the elimination so far
as possible of the extreme radical ele
ment. He believed that the great dan
ger to the labor organization was from
this element and from outside attack
Mr.. Joyce's talk, like Mr.. Reese's
was strong plea for saneness and
conservatism not only in the officers
of the organization but also in the
rank and file of the membership. He
spoke to the labor men present like a
father and gave them good advice
drawn from his forty years in service
for the organization.
| Advised Against incorporation.
i Mr.. Joyce advised against the incor
poration of the labor organizations on
the ground that should this be done