The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1905-04-29
PRES. Of C|GARMkkERS
R0ASTS LABOR REBELS
Ably Defines the Position Of
Trade Unions ard Method
of Organization.
Ridicules Attempt Of Indus
trialsts to Disrupt Fed
GRAFTON of Labor.

GRAFTON of Labor.
There is no better authority In the
labor movement than George w. Per-
:1kins, president Of the Cagarmakers In
tornatlonal union. In the current Is
sue Of the cigarmakers' official journal
1xT. Perkins champions tine trade union
idea and pays his respects to the DIS
ruptionists Of the labor movement IN
tho following able editorial:
The so-called industrialists. which 10
simply a thin-skinned disguise for the
old defunct Deleon socialist trade and
labor alliance, profess to be anxious to
unite the worker in q solid alliance ana
accuse the autonomists or present sys-
TEN Of trade unionists with dividing
the workers on craft lines. Under the
head Of Tobacco they dispose OF US al
follows: Warehousemen, teamsters'
packers, sorters, cigarettes, stogles. cl-
garmakers, tobacco workers, CLERKS.
II this isn't a division of the workers
in our trade with a vengeance, then We
do not know what division means. They.
however, fail to say what union clerk
who handles drugs, groceries, whisky
or beer, etc. shall belong to- one OF
their professed ideas is to prevent 1ur-
isdiction disputes. but under their 1ool
plan. il a teamster hauls for any one
except a cigar manufacturer, wn1ch
union would they belong to? If clerk
handles anything except cigars ana TO-
bacco, which union would he belong
to? They have the carpenter IN with
irfn
nineteen other unions under the nean
of department of Building" but have
placed the piano makers. box MAKERS
cabinet and bench workers. ETC., unoer
the head Of 'Woodworkers.' Where
does the prevention of the Jurisdiction
fishts come in? Every one knows that
the severest jurisdiction fights nave
been caused in the last named traces
vet they have blindly separated them
more than ever in their Utoplan pIan'
The present trade union system OF or
Ranization and federation represents
the free and voluntary association OF
the working classes for mutual pro-
lection and collective bargaining, hence
IS lust as natural as the law OF GraV-
tation and is just as enduring IL ~
not q forced movement nor was II d
fancy dream, nor hastily conceived
scheme by some 1ong-haired professor
I, ne workers
from stern necessity and have advanc-
ed from crude organizations In their
own way and as experience dictated
until we reached the present status
which Is the highest degree Of perfec-
t,on consistent with the ideas and wish
Dvrk m
is foolish enough to claim that we have
reached perfection. Our organlzat'oI'S
are democratic in scope ana metnous
and are just what the rank ana HE or
the majority thereof make them. Any
attempt to force the workers Oeyono
their capacity is like trying to make
water run uphill or to change the laws
of gravitation and just as foolish. Tne
dreamer, enthusiast and those who 90
not understand the labor movement,
helped on by a few professional utop-
fans. are the ones who are always De-
littlipR the trade union movement ano
trying to start something else. Tnese
people have been UP against the game
or life and proved themselves failures.
and they imagine that everything else,
especially the trade union movement, Is,
like themselves "a failure. The trade
,,nian movement will run its natural
course despite all obstaces within OF
without. and will continue to upiaft and
Improve the shop or economic condi-
+ion of the workers. No one can tel
and no sensible man will attempt tt
sav what the trade union movement
will finally lead to. or what It's future
plans and methods will be. OF one
thing we are morally certain, that it Il
the natural logical system or organiza-
tion. That it is the best that has s<
far been evolved and that 1t will con-
tinue to improve just In proportion al
we develop knowledge and capacity fol-
improvement. The movement II svol'
utionary IN character and has passed
the stage Of an experiment, und will
zrow in power and influence AZ well al
permanency a. We improve morally, In
tellectuaNy and physically.
Anv attempt to shift the base o.
.chanre the mode Of procedure by {
short route, hurry-up visionary process.
advocated by the enthusiastic, hong
haired dootrinaires WILL like all pre-
vious Nike attempts. result In failure
The so-ca2led conservative trade union
ast n lust ~ impatient for better so
cial and economic state az the alleged
Sadioal, but he has sense enough to bt
xutded by reason and past experience
He can always bs depended upon to &C
~ fast as the other fellow, but he in.
sisfs upon knowing where he Is gofne
to lard tefore he Jumps, and in doing
20 proves that he IL the real and safe
guide. The other fellow is always ready
to leap in the dark and always lands
on his head whenever he makes the
attsnWt.
GENERAL LABOR NOTES