The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-06-02

societies like tho Z. NJ, G. A., have
printing to be done: Are you min
listers. who profess 50 much interest
In W., interested enough to have your
printing done in union shops? And
II you are, how many of you are will
ing to exhibit the union label on it?
One union label is worth a hundred
fraternal delegates. If you use the
union label, you don't need to as
sure us Of your sympathy; for the
union label does it's own talking. We
don't want mere talk, which is cheap;
we want practical sympathy; and
there is a simple. sure way of show
ing it,"
Coming down to the leading issue
open and closed shop question, Dr.
WATSON struck home in a manner that
is surely refreshing in this day Of
cant and hypocracy:.
Yet, how can we Episcopal minis
tiers have the face to oppose the close
shop, when the Episcopal ministry is
the highest kind of closed shop? Long
years of preparation are required; then
careful examinations, before a man is
admitted to the ministry. No sugges-
ton here of the freedom of an Amer
lean citizen to exercise his 1nalienable
right to work where and as he pleas
es! And then, when we accept a call,
see what We stipulate with our en-
ployer. the congregation, concerning
cur control Of the shop we are to run.
Our control is supreme, and this is
even embodied in the law of the
church, since we will not run the
chances that might come from indi-
V1dual contract. No man can touch
the organ without our consent. No
person can raise his voice in song in
the choir without our consent. No
hymn can be sung nor tune selected
without our consent. We have plen-
airy authority as to the kind of choir:
we can overthrow the traditions Of a.
generation in a day if we wish: we
can 1orce an arrangement obnoxious
TO every member of our employer, the
congregation. We determine the SER
vice, when it begins and ends. whom
we will Invite to assist us, and whom
we will keep out. Moreover, we are
not content with closing the church
building, we close the whole neigh
oorhood. No Episcopal minister can
preach in church OF another denom-
lnat1on without asking the consent of
the nearest Episcopal rector. And no
episcopal minister can even preach
the Gospel on the street corner in NV
nelghborhood without first coming to
me and getting my CONSENT"
Talk about the closed shop! Hera
Is an other upper cut:
And yet we ministers have the
nerve to say We don't approve of the
closed shop! We approve WARMLY
enough II our own closed shop: and
1t Is only the closed shop of the Door
Work1ngmen that we oppose or cues
tlon. AND remember, too, that our
contracts with our employers are for
lie; and that when we are sick. we
are not locked; and that a lot Of US
get fat vaca tons with full pay. while
our employer pays for our substitute.
You printers ought to have entered
the ministry, If you were looking for
the real thing In the way Of closed
shop.
You workingmen will have to work
out your own salvation, as YOU have
thus far. The men Of God won't helm
you to any extent; nor the la.wvers,
nor any other class. Through vour
own efforts, and the force of ,..c,,n-
stances, you have in the course of gen.
eratlons come up from slavery and
ser1dom and peasanthod to your pres
ent level. And the sole instrument
through which your progress has been
erected has been the labor union in
It's earlier or later forms. And the sole
barrier today between you and 2
speedy relapse, as on a tobogean slide
to virtual slavery is the labor union. u
Speking Of what the unions nave
done and are doing, Rev. WATSON de-
clared:
And look what it (the union) haA
done for society as we'll. It bears the
brunt of the warfare against child
labor, and were it not for the labor
union I do not believe there would to-
day be a single scrap of child labor
legislation the coutry over. Like
Jesus, the labor union has been the
friend of the little Children when
church and state turned their backs
on them. And sanitary conditions In
factories, so far as they prevail. the
mitigation Of the sweatshop evil the
limitation of hours, the abolition Of the
company stores-all this has come
| from the labor unions"
Turning to the present political agf-
tation among the workers, the sneaker
gave out this wholesale advise In con-
Guiding:
And there is but one weapon Of
defense that you can WELD effectively
Organize, with tho rest of your class,
politically, and go into politics. Gov
eminent Is an instrument Of class. and
always has been; Ind the only oues-
ton is whether you shall control the
government in your own interest. or
government shall control you in some
body else's interest. When you fool
ishly leave 1t to your enemies to make
and administer the laws, you reserve
| to yourselves only the right to ohev
the laws which your enemies have
made to your prejudice, or to break