The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-11-03

sonal liberty Of the toiler consists In
the wage Garner humbly accepting a
job at the conditions the employer sees
MT to Indicate, who allows the employer
to dictate his wages, hours and other
conditions OF employment, and who Is
satisfied to permit the employer to
claim for himself every privilege de-
MED the employee.
10 accomplish these purposes certain
employers have brought to their assist
ance the powers Of the government,
nave corrupted Judges and have sup
ported powerful Hobbies in almost every
seat OF government in this country.
1t is therefore the duty of every trade
un1ontst to interest himself in the
politics OF his locality to ascertain the
character Of the men who are destined
to make the laws that will guide the
destinies OF our people and to cast his
vote only for, those individuals who
promise to support those reforms which
are necessary to further the free de-
veiopment Of organized labor along the
lines Of Justice and fair dealing. and
not in the special interest of a certain
money class.
The cry Of the "open shop which
literally translated signifies long
hours Of labor, small wages and every
evil that trade unionism has been sue
cessful In Graduating, is being pro-
pagated to deceive the public and gain
sympathy for certain forms Of en-
ployers' associations, and under this
pretext every reform law introduced
by labor Is subject to defeat If 1t does
not suit the will of the employing
class who oppose it. Our representa-
tives, wearing the hall mark Of pre-
datory capital, basely betray the in
terests Of the masses, and with each
succeeding year we preceive the de-
feat Of the eight-hou7 bill, anti-in-
junction measure and sundry petitions
demanded by labor. The United
States is far behind every country in
the world as regards labor legisla-
ton. Practically very little is accom-
pushed In this direction, the defeat of
labor legislation has become a general
practice, while hundreds Of worthless
bllls are passed at the meetings of
every legislature in the country, At
the recent meeting Of the New York
legislature no fewer than forty bills
In the interest of labor suffered de-
feat while eight bills secured the gov
ernor's signature and became a law.
Such total ignoring of the peoples
rights could not exist if we had rep
resentative men from our own ranks
to plead labor's cause, and the sooner
the trade unionist realizes the neces-
sity Of political action along trade
union lines, the sooner will he lessen
the burden on labor's shoulders. Eng
land has now fifty representative Ia
Dor champions from the ranks of the
| working classes in parliament, and
Germany has eighty, while in the
United States we can scarcely boast
of a single labor representative in
congress.
The workingmen of this country
should therefore concentrate every ef-
fort towards organization along poll
teal lines, which movement will un.
doubtedly terminate In the improve
ment Of the condition of the masses
lessen the number Of strikes, lockouts
| and other evidences Of economic dis
content, permit the workers to parti.
| cipate in the blessings Of material ad.
vancement and establish that demo.
cracy which Is something more thar
! mere shadow Of the substance.