The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-10-13
RELATIONS Of NEGRO
TO ORGANIZED LABOR
Strong and Characteristic Letter
From Colored Student of
Labor Problem.
Says Negro Pays Too Much At
tention To What Outsiders
Say of Union Labor.

Mr.. H. L. Taylor. general vice. presi-
dent Of the Laborers International
union, has up-to-date views on the
labor question.
Mr.. Taylor is person Of unusual
intelligence and keen insight, of wide
experience, and Is possessed of ex-
ceptional ability. This article should
receive careful perusal and considera-
ton, and whittier you agree with his
conclusions or not, it must be admitted
that Mr.. Taylor presents able argu-
msnts in behalf Of his race and their
advancement.
Already much has been said of the
negro's relation to organized labor. 1t
the talk of those who attempt to dis
cuss this question, they not being any
part of organized labor and conse-
quently knowing little of the question.
I shall speak from the standpoint Of
member Of organized labor and
negro, as I am both
find one fault with the negro. In
great many cases he takes up too
much time listening to what someone
has to say that knows nothing at all
about organized labor. He has for
gotten his ideas about unions from-no
one knows where, not even himself.
Then again in many cases, II the
negro is asked to join organized labor,
he will ask his employer what to do,
| and nine times out Of ten he Will be
told not to join.
You cannot expect and other advice
| from such a source, for as long as the
| employer can keep the negro In 1g-
| norance Of his duty to his fellow to1ler
and outside Of the union, just SO long
can he keep us all wage slaves.
! Again, the negro takes up too much
time finding fault with the labor union:
because someone has said the union
has done so-and-so to him-when the
fact of the matter is this fault finding
Is to blame and not the union. In mos
case you will find, too, that he Is one
of those fellows who thinks he know:
it all, and is always right, while every
one else Is wrong.
have been an active member o.
organized LABOR for more than si1
years and have neld some Of the high
and T know whereof 7 speak on thi:
question.
This is a question that should b.
taken up by our negro leaders every
where, such as lawyers, doctors
preachers, and all negro papers--no
to discuss from a personal standpoint
but take it upon. its merits get dow
into details and. then see # there Il
not great dea1 Of good in ORGANIZED
labor for the negro.
Then let us see how it is best to ge
gotten out, and that the negro ha
much to gain by and through organized
labor.
We can expect to be condemned an
perhaps discouraged from the employ
ers' side, and even from some of GU
best people; but I believe we will fin'
in the end that through the co-opera
ton of the negro with organized labor
that he will be helped a great deal OF
the road to better standard Of living
The negro has been much benefited
even now by organized labor, but 1t l
apparent that the better educated negr
mas never put much IuOuSut " I{AA
question.
When we consider that organize
labor is made up Of the working class
and that about IS percent, and perhap
more, Of the negro race is in thi
class, we will see the Importance Q
the negro in general, from the hes
educated down to the humblest totle1
becoming interested in this battle 70
better conditions for the laborer.
Then, too, when we consider tina
while the white wage worker has bet
tered his standard of living about 6
percent, the negro has come nowher
near that mark.
Why? Because the white man or
ganizes into unions, while the negr
does not.
It Is said the negro cannot becom
a part Of organized labor, but that /
not true in all cases. The same wa
said of the churches years ago, bu
what happened when the negro be
came determined to become allied wit
the churches? He is now a recognize
factor in the church world, and 80 h