The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-06-25
FORCE OF NUMBERS.
AN ORGANIZATION LIES THE TolLER's
ONLY HOPE.

Ii should be self evident that IN trades
unlonism the toiler finds his only hope
and security while we live under the
commercial system which reigns today.
Sugar coat 1t as we may, labor Is today
q commodity, and the capitalist goes
into the market and buys 1t as cheaply
as it can be purchased. So there seems
to be no limit to the lowering OF wages
were there no preventing forces. Mems
very necessities compel them to COM
pete with one another until the very
lowest possible liring price is reached.
The fact that d man has wife and
several children does not always urge
him on to demand higher wages In or
der to support them. He is, indeed,
more helpless than the single man. He
dare not be idle; his family will starye.
and so he ID compelled to beg for a
chance to work at any price. Conse-
quentiy the single man Is often dis
charged to make room for the married
man, whose family needs drive him to
work for less.
The one man who refuses to work
unless he is better paid can accomplish
but little, but d hundred men doing the
same thing at the same time can bring
about wonderful results. The force
they WELD is something that must. be
reckoned with Combination is the
workingman's only weapon against the
encroachments of well intrenched cap
ital.
The struggles between the two forces
have been many and bitter. Great suf-
fering. deep enmities, hunger, despair,
have resulted from these combats, and
because of this it is said trades unions
are wrong and should be destroyed.
But struggles are never pleasant
things Must we then supinely submit
to any wrong that is offered us? 1t is
often a choice between peace at any
price, and "the hell Of war" Who
would purchase quiet at the price OF
liberty? Not the modern, civilized, as
piring workingman, who is Americas
best citizen
The combination or many trades
unions into one organization for the
good OF all Is more modern move
ment and one that has made progress
with some difficulty. Many obstacles
have been In manner overcome by
the American Federation Of Labor In
this country. and the task has been a
most gigantic one. In the last twenty
five years the change has been marvel
Gus. We have had to deal with labor
ers from every country on the globe,
speaking all languages. possessing
thousands Of varying prejudices, Gus
toms, tastes and superstitions. They
have been stupidity selfish, stubbornly
selfish, piggishly selfish, blindiy selfish,
and through that very selfishness have
stood In their own way, and they have
been more or less stepped in ignorance
and serviIify. But such have been
caught, taught, trained, pulled and
pushed into something like order, and
the first principles of mutual combina-
ton for the interest Of all have seeped
into their understandings. Today the
workingmen of America are generally
intelligent and well informed. They
are far from being perfect and from
really comprehending their own rights.
They have not thoroughly imbibed the
principle of loyalty to one another, and
they are not cool aud calm and suave
and polite at all times, as are some en-
ployers even while deceiving and
wronging them.
Every workingman knows something
about the union and he knows that
he must hold some relation to it--elther
that OF mutual support or of direct an.
tagonism-Hnd every worker. from the
humblest TO the highest in position, is
better off for the existence of the I'm
ion. The poorest toiler receives more
for his labor than he would have done
but for the union He may have de-
nounced the trades organizations with
scorn, he may have called them "ty-
ranniear and declared his independ-
ence of them by working where and
when and how he plensed." but never
theless he has profited by them. and
but for their hardly earned victories
he would be no better situated than
the Chinese cody working ten hours
a day for cents.
The most noticeable strides have
been made in the ranks of women
workers. Twenty-Five years ago WON
an had Just emerged from the seclusion
and work of home. She became part
of an army, and her work was but bits
Of great whole, and yet she seemed
for d long time ignorant of the great
outward movement and OF its impor-
lance.
Today the wageworlsing women OF
all the large cities are well organized.
They are better paid and health condl-
tons are better looked after than OF
yore. andin case of personal wrong the
woman has not losing battle to fight
alone. A great and powerful body
stands behind her TO protect. Chill
dren. too. are looked after and. IN
measure. kept out OF the mills and
shops until they are somewhat ma
tured OF course there are many
wrongs and dire evils vet, but the good
work Is going on. The principles of
cooperation are generally recognized
as beneficial, and wider spirit Of I'M
selfshness is permeating the ranks OF
working people. While realizing the
necessity Of energetic work in the fu-
ture, we have great reason TO congrat-
ulate ourselves on what has already
been accomplished Lizzie NJ. Holmes
in American Federntionist.
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