Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-05-12

fdencies exist, none know better than
you gentlemen who are the represen-
tatfves of the trades unions of the
state Of Iowa. To you, largely falls
the task sometimes almost herculean,
sometimes, alas impossible, Of resist
Ing these dangerous tendencies and
directing the course of labor unions
along the safe and conservative path
which they should and must follow, #
the unions are to endure.
Someone has said, Give an an
gel unlimited power and that power
will be abused Give a man, corpo-
ration, trust or labor union unlim-
tied power and that power Is almost
as sure to be abused as the sun is to
rise and set. For all of these forces
and institutions there must be checks,
safeguards and regulations. Under the
constitution and laws of the nation
cry man, whether union or non-union.
rich or poor, no matter what his color,
| creed or political faith, the inalienable
rights of life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness so long as he does not
interfere with the same rights apper-
tanning to his fellow citizens.
To Protect Labor to the Laborer.
Americas greatest philosopher
said:
There is no interest in any coun-
try so imperative as that of labor; 1t
covers all, and constitutions and gov
ernments exist for that,-to protect
and insure 1t to the laborer. All hon
est men are daily striving to earn
their bread by their industry
What does this mean?
cit means that the right of every
man to avail himself of an opportun-
ity to work, if he so desires, limited
only by the laws safeguarding the
public welfare, health and morals,
must be guaranteed. Regardless Of
whether he is union or non-union, the
strong arm of the law must protect
him from interference by any person
or organization. Violence, rioting,
unlawful interference with or destruc-
ton of property during times of
strikes or at any other time, cannot
and must not be tolerated.
Liberty of personal action and pro.
lection to the laborer in the enjoy.
ment of the fruits of his labor, as well
as the preservation Of property, which
4 10 UuL Lu0 Ii ulL6 I'll ldUOl Ill COuCl Cue
form are as necessary to the continued
existence Of free government, as
are the opportunities to breathe and
eat in the life of an individual. Upon
| the shoulders of representative labor
ing men, such as I have the honor to
address this evening, largely rests the
responsibility for bringing this fact
home to the individual labor unionist
Any other policy will and must inevi.
tably bring ruin and destruction upon
himself.
No IrrepressIble Conflict.
''The laborer of today becomes the
capitalist of tomorrow. There is no
Iirrepressible conflict between capital
and labor. Their interests are identi-
cal and to teach any other doctrine
is worse than heresy. 1t is Industrial
suicide and national ruin Capital
and labor need to get close together
and understand each other-not to
fight and. draw apart. But this is a
mere generalization. How can it be
brought about, keeping always in
mind, as we must, the inherent selfish
ness of mankind
81 may have been exceptionally. for
tunate, but am happy to say that in
all my experience, have never yet
found that the labor unions in my line
of business would not listen to reason
and agree to do approximately the fair
thing. But am equally frank in say
ing that during that period as employ
er | have never refused to receive and
talk with delegation Of employees,
whether they came as representatives
of the union or as individuals. I have
had many conferences, but we have
always gone over the ground thorough
ly, calmly and dispassionately and in
the main, we have always been able
to reach a satisfactory adjustment
Today, the American Newspaper Pub.
fishers association of which am a
member, has an arbitration contract
with the printers and pressmen's un
ions which has practically eliminated
strikes from the newspapers Of the
country during the past six years. That
this is magnificent thing for both the
employer and employee Is fully recog
nized and the principle is right.
The Walking Delegate.
"'But the walking delegate. How
about the walking delegate?' said g
I gentleman to me recently. He comes
from distance into your Office and
tells you what you shall do and what
you shall not do 1 could not help but
smile as replied:
"T have been in business twenty
five years and have never seen {
walking delegate
There is one thing that some EN-
ployers have never found out. They be
rate, abuse and condemn the walking
delegate, yet these same employer:
are apparently in blissful Ignorance
that they themselves, and not the
unions, are. primarily responsible 70,
the walking delegate. When employ
ers refuse to receive delegations o
employees or summarily discharge then
after they have been received (and WI
have all known such things to b.
done) what Is the laboring man to do
} There is in fact nothing for him to d.
but to send away from home for
walking delegate who can act as hi
representative, and whom the employ
! er cannot discharge.
I'm comparison to the power Of col
porate capital, the individual workman