The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-05-06
DECISIVE LABOR BATTLE IN
CHICAGO.

A portion of the trade unions Of
Chicago are being put to severe test
OF strength. Never before in the his
tory of the labor movement has the
Employers association waged such
determined fight against organized la
Dor. They believe that the defeat OF
the transfers will completely destroy
the influence Of the labor movement
in the Windy City.
The strike then is Of much conse-
Quence to all labor. The unions at
this moment seem to have the matter
we'll in hand. A careful analysis of
the most unfavorable press reports to
the labor side Of the controversy fails
to connect organized labor with the
rioting and wholesale violation Of law
that is prevalent in the big city.
Knowing nothing about the facts of
the case except as recorded in the
daily papers we are willing to admit
that individual strikers, or perhaps
groups Of them, may be responsible
for some Of the violence, but We are
firmly convinced that the situation has
been aggravated by the policy and
methods Of the Employers associa-
ton.
This association has no code OF
ethics. Their sole purpose is to win.
by fair means or foul. It makes little
difference to them what tactics are
resorted to so long as they win. They
have gathered from the worst dives
In the city the most dangerous men
in the country. Some Of them have
criminal records known to every police
go about armed and spelling for trou-
BILE. Most of them are professional
strike breakers who are paid a high
wage during the heat Of strike. They
figure that the more riot there is the
longer they will be employed at high
wages, for when the strike is over
and conditions become normal the
strike breakers services are no longer
required. He is not the kind of man
to have about a place when peace has
been established. Under the system
now in vogue by employers the strike
breaker is sort Of emergency man
to be used in any portion Of the coun-
try by the National Employers asso-
citation.
Take Frank Curry who now figures
so prominently as leader Of the strike
breakers in Chicago He came to Du-
luth in 1899. After the street car
strike was settled here he left for st.
Louis to break the strike there. He
then went to New Orleans where there
was big street car strike. In other
places of more or less consequence
he has followed his nefarious work.
until now We learn Of him in Chica-
go. Curry never works except durfne
strike. When this strike shall have
been settled Curry will be EMPLOYED
elsewhere, for he is always kept on
the list Of Boss Farley the King of
strike breakers.
Such men. If they can rightfully be
called men, have no hesitancy in cre-
ating disorder during strike, and be-
cause organized labor Is responsible
for the strike, the public is led to be-
lieve that it Is responsible for the
violence attending a strike in which
notorious characters are employed to
combat with organized labor.
The Employers association is the
aggressor in this dispute. Under the
direction Of F. w. Job, whose lob de-
ponds upon his success as a union de-
stroyer every attempt at arbitration
has been futile. The unions have re-
peatedly agreed to submit their side
OF the controversy to arbitration, but
Secretary Job will not agree to this.
1T will be fight to the f1nish," says
he. II we mistake not We see the fin
ish of Secretary Job. His best card
was played Tuesday when he failed
to induce the teaming interests and
the railroads to cooperate with him.
Their refusal on the part Of the team
ing interests puts the Employers as
ISOLATION upon it's own resources en-
tirely. That it will be unable to suo-
cessfully combat the solid and i'm
penetrable organization Of the team
sters and the Chicago Federation of
Labor is now conceded by all who
know anything about the solidarity of
labor in Chicago.
The strike. when it shall have been
settled, will be the wind up of a long
seige of industrial warfare in Chi
cago. Its result will be decisive, and