Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-07

has been good, is no reason why it should
be perpetuated. The Law Of Diminish
ing Returns is the natural refutation OF
the popular fallacy, that because a thing
is good you cannot get too much OF it.
-4-
Labor unions well illustrate the Law of
Diminishing Returns,
Labor unions have increased wages
shortened hours, introduced government
factory inspection, have partially done
away with child labor, and done other
useful, excellent and beautiful things
but when labor unions go beyond the
Pivotal Point and attempt TO dictate the
amount Of the output-forbidding any
man 10 earn more than so much; decide
on the proportion of apprentices TO work
men--that Is, who shall advance and who
not; declare what work shall be done in
schools, in prisons and what not; tear
out work that has been done by nom
union men and require that it shall be
done over by union men; insist that YOU
must Join a union, or else be deprived of
the right TO work; then the union has
passed the Pivotal Point, and has ceased
TO give an equitable return.
When your children do not go TO school
for fear Of the cry Of "scab;" when your
wife dare not hang out the washing in
the back yard for fear of the cry OF
"scab;' when you hesitate to 60 TO your
work knowing you may be carried home
on a shutterj when briekbats take the
place Of reason, and the Walking Dele
gate says: Garry a union card or take
out an accident policy" then things have
gone so far that in self-protection the
union must be temporarily laid low
with link pin.
The people of America cannot afford to
let any combination of men become an
engine for the destruction of liberty, be
it labor union, Molly Maguires, ku Klux
or church.
There are a million and q half men in
America paying dues IN labor unions
There are eight thousand paid walking
delegates. or business agents, who look
10 the laborers for support.
A million dollars a year is paid TO or.
ganizers, the money being paid by the la.
borers.
Here we get an institution that sup.
ports a large number Of men who do NOT
work; who can call a strike or declare il
off; who can prey on both employe OF
employer At will
II is like a religious institution grown
great, that lives and thrives on the fears
of its constituents.
Local unions meet weekly or daily
The men are called together in chapel
10 receive orders. Conference and con.
sultation are out Of the question
unions are run by the men who get paid
for running them. And the talking mer
in any union are, almost without excep.
tion. men who hope 20 rise, by loyalty tc
the union and not by helping along then
employer. Did you ever hear of a union
where the men were called together tC
discuss methods and means to better the
business that supplied them work?
Not exactly
Members Of a union hope to rise by
helping along the union. They want more
pay. shorter hours, and give their time
TO stating grievances that grow by tell
ing. They wish 10 become walking dele
gates. organizers or officers in the union
Men who are loyal To the firm, who have
ambitions about furthering the business
who expect to become superintendents
foremen, partners and officers in the com
pany. keep out of unions, because they
are not wanted there. John Mitchell wa.
right, "Once a laboror always a laborer,
if YOU are union man and work in q
closed shop The closed shop writes th,
life sentence of every man in IL. am,
shuts the man of from the friendship OF
the employer. labor union organizers
constantly fan the fallacy that employers
are the enemies of the men TO whom they
supply work; that capital il at war viii
labor. aud that success lies in secretly
combining against capital.
The organizers and helpers are reall.
paid attorneys, and their business is Q,
distort the truth for their own interests
They are preachers upholding their de
nomination.
Labor union meetings are all eN part'
only one side Is represented. The EN-