Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1905-10-12
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Wants Union to Stand Firm.
Kimball, Tenn, Oct. 3, 1905

Editor News: LII Is Salu, Wnlle
the lamp holds out to burn the vilest
sinner may return so, if this is true,
it is possible that J. W. Morrison has
changed and become very pious, NOR
al and law-abiding citizen-so much so
that even a clean paper like the News
might appear to be very filthy sheet
to one Of his fine sensibilities. If such
is the case he surely would not ride
and associate with a drunken negro,
and J. Fl. M. may be due him an apol-
ogy.
/ have been a reader of the News for
several years and have never read an
editorial that forced me to the 'conclu-
sion that the paper is unfit to enter
and be read in the families Of decent
| and law abiding citizens but ! and
| others, like Aunt Lettie, who are fool
| ish enough to believe that labor is
honorable and that it has some rights
| and should organize to protect these
rights, may not be competent judges
| as to what is the proper literature to
be admitted to the homes of ''decent
and law abiding citizens but | guess
we will continue to take and read the
News and risk the consequences.
I used to know Elisha Barker well,
and am satisfied that he is still the
same honest, sober, truthful, high-class
citizen that he was when knew him
and was somewhat surprised when
saw his name signed to a letter re-
| questing that the News be discontin-
ued to his address, and assigning as
his reason for the notice..to discontinue
that the paper was unfit to enter his
home Now, l do not mean to infer
by what l have said in eulogy of Els
ha that Jim and the other signers are
not moral in the superlatiye degree
and the best of citizens. | am not sc
well acquainted with them and, hence,
withhold my valuable ~ eulogies un-
til I know them better. But, enough
on this line.
Labor is the poor mans capital. II
is all the resource he has to provide
the necessaries of life for himself and
family Why, then, should not the
men who produce the wealth organize
and stand together in order to be able
to demand fair division of the dol
lars they produce. If they do not they
may, in few years, be in worse
condition than the slave.
| do not belong to any labor organ
ization but have sympathy for the
man whose only capital is his muscle
and l would have to be in extra hare
circumstances before l would take and
WELD the pick of union miner, the
hammer of union carpenter, the
brush of union painter, or take the
tool and place of any man who was ou'
ON strike with a reasonable griev
ance.
Capital and labor should be clos
friends. Labor should be willing Il
concede to capital a good profit on thu
money invested in the enterprise, ant
capital, on the other hand, should b.
willing to give to labor fair portion
of the profits produced. believe thu
laborer, as rule, would be glad to di
vide fairly with capital the profits OF
their sweat, but capital selfish an(
Shylock- like, is not satisfied with thu
pound of flesh, and says to organized
labor ''This is my business and will
manage and run it as l please. | d.
not propose to make any agreement o.
contract with you, and if you don
want to work on these terms and TO
the price l offer you, you can quit ant
| L Will 6ulplOJ bu6oo ulSu-OOAOuk ~ lOl
J ows, like NIP & Tuck, who believ
it a,crime for labor to organize, to TAX
your place, and when the "sign" get
, right will cut their wages about ~
] per cent. and later on | will make an
! other small cut and in this way, put
, ting on the thumb screws gradually, s
, they will not squeal or kick, it will no
, be great while until will have ther
/ where want them, my slaves, work
ing twelve hours day to get enoug
| money to buy shoddy clothing to cove
3 their body and coarse food to kee
7 them and their families (if not to-
, large) from starvation"
! But what,about Nip & Tuck? 1t
clear to see by what he says in his las
: epistle that he has wondrous love fo
his bank boss. If he had little NOR
love for his brother laborers and lii
: tie less for his bank boss, it seems
r me that he would be little bette
9 proportioned.
: Will say to the Union miners in col
j clusion to stand firm and obey the Law
e and show to the people and the ma
i igners of your honor and the defamel
t of your order that you are law -abit
e ing citizens, and that union mine
g can be gentleman.
o With best wishes to the News and i
host of readers, am,