The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-09-15
UNI0N1sM A GoDsEND.
Tho market Rate Means the Cheap.
est labor-Destroy tho Unions
and Poverty Would Stalk
Abroad in This Free Land.

The popular way Of looking at the
matter has been In regard to the pub
lie as complacent and dlsinterested
spectators Of the progress Of union
ism, as If the successes Of unionism
were not as vital to the interests Of
the public at large as 1t is to union
ism. Unionism itself has fostered this
delusion. It has been begging the
support Of the business and profession
al world as a favor, and the business
and professional world has wrongly
been permitted to earn much deserved
applause for standing up for the
workingman" upon such occasions as
they have pleased to extend a helping
hand. Unionism has made an intel
ligent and sustained effort to present
the matter in its true colors. It has
been but little interested In the con-
Germs Of the world at large, and the
world at large has repaid It In it's own
coin.
This state Of AFFAIRS SO detrimental
to the interests Of not unionism only,
but the public at large, can be chang
ed with a modicum of the energy now
wasted In trying to convince the pub
lie that It ought to help unionism from
altruistic motives. As society is at
present constituted, no motive will be
considered except that which is based
ON self interest. Now, the truth OF
the matter is, unionism and the public
at large are irrevocably bound to-
gether with the same bonds Of econ
nY1fo fo11nvucS,}r
down, the public will go down with it.
There Is no great difficulty involved
in the demonstration Of this fact.
Capital insists upon Its right to hire
labor at the market rate. We all
know what this means. The market
rate" is always below the rate al
which mon are holding their jobs, nc
matter how low that rate may be, sc
long as there are men out Of employ
ment. This Is not a theory; it is q
condition. II it be granted that every
man has right to work where, when
and for what wages he will, without
restraint, it is easy to see where the
laboring man would come out. At the
present time the condition of unaffili-
ated labor Is not SO noticeable, because
unionsm has set up a standard OF
wages, and the non-union man benefits
thereby.
Now, let US assume that unionism
Is overthrow, beaten decisively and
reduced to the beautiful state Of in
dependence Of unionism and servility
to capital which the captains Of in
dustry are striving so hard to bring
about. Has the general public no con-
Germ In such an event? Let us ask
the merchant If he prefers to deal with
public which has money and the
inclination to buy only the barest ne
cessaries-to eat the coarsest foods
wear the cheapest clothes and live ir
the meanest quarters compatible with
life. Surely such conditions will ap.
peal to no one as being the millen.
mum OF the manufacturer, Of the mer'
chant, of the landlord.
Again, let us ask the doctor and thu
lawyer how they expect to come on,
when the unions have been destroyed
Slaves have no money to pay for lit.
igation or medical services. And 81
! on throughout the whole realm Of in.
dustry. No permanent injury can &C
| crue to any person Of the body polite
| without affecting the remainder.
Unionism Is the only force which
stands between the entire public ant
the lamentable conditions above out
lined. 1t is fighting the battles Of tn
public single-handed, and the public
blind to It's own interests, looks on de
precatingly and thinks 1t has done wei
in keeping aloof or lending Its mora
support c0nd1tionally.
A campaign of education Is neede'
worse than anything else at present
Unionism should have the support an
financial aid of the general public
whose battles is has been fighting s
long and with such heavy handicap
1t can obtain what it wants If it goe
about it In the right way, dependin
,,poY, tho p,,rpOaa -Ra1timoro T.aador