The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1906-06-21
Inc and The General Public revocaby Together
With Same Bonds of Economic Fellowship
Onionsm Goes Down The Public Will Go With -No Great
Difficulty Involved in the Demonstration of this Fact
Campaign of Education Is Needed

The popular way Of looking at
the matter has been IN regard to
the public as complacent and dis
interested spectators of the prog,
ress of unionism, as if the success
of unionism were not as vital to
the interests OF the public at large
as it is to unionism. Unionism
itself has foStcred this delusion,
1T has been begging the support of
the business and professional world
:.s Il favor, and the business and
professional world has wrongly
been permitted to earn much de-
served applause ''standing up foi.
the workingman' upon such oc.
casions as they have pleased to ex-
tend a helping hand. Unionism
has made an intelligent and sus.
tanned effort to present the matter
in its true colorS. 1t has been but
little Interested III the concerns Of
the world at large, and the world
at large has repaid it in its own
coin.
This state of affairs, so detri.
mental TO the interests spfnotunion.
ism only, but the public at large,
can be changed with a modicum Of
the energy now wasted in trying to
convince the public that it ought
to help unionism from altruistic
motives. AS society is at present
constituted, no motive will be con
sidered except that which IS based
on self-intcrest. Now, the truth
of the matter is, unionism and the
public at large are irrevocably
bound together with the same
bonds of economic fellowship, and
il unioniSm goes 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 markel rate. We
all know what this means. The
s'market rate is always below the
rate at which men are holding their
jobs, no matter how low that rate
may be, so long as there are men
out of employment. This is not "a
theory; it is IL condition. IF il be
granted that every man has a right
to work where, when and for what
wages he viii, without restraint, it
is easy to see where the labOring
man would come out. At the
present time the condition of un-
affiliated labor is not SO noticeable.
because lnionism has set up a
..f., ii. "A OF
union man profits thereby.
Now, let us assume that union
ism is Oyerthrown, beaten decis-
lively and reduced to the beautiful
state OF dependence and servility
to capital which the captains of in
dustry are striving so hard to bring
about. Has the general public no
concern in such All event! Let us
ask the merchant if he prefers to
deal with apublic which has money
and the inclination to buy only the
coarsest foods, wear the cheapest
clothes and live i'll the meanest
quarters compatible with life.
Surely surli conditions will appeal
TO no one as being the millennium
of the manufacturer. of the mer-
chant, of the landlord.
Again, let US ask the doctor and
the lawyer how hey expect to come
out when the unions have been
destroyed. Slaves have no money
10 pay for litigation or medical ser
vices. And so on throughout the
whole realm of industry No per-
manent injury can accrue to any
portion of the body polite without
affecting the remainder
Unionism is tie only force which
stands between the entire public
and the lamentabIe conditions
above outlined. 1t is fighting the
battles of the public single handed.
and the public, blind to its own
interests, looks on deprecatinely
and thinks it has done well in
keeping aloof or lending its moral
support conditionally.
\ campaign of education is
needed worse than anything else
at present. Unionism should have
the support and financial aid of the