The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-02-27
THE UNION A TRUST
CHARGE or THE ALLIED FOES
or LABOR.

Trades Societies Compared = One
Means individual GREEDY the other
Feeds LIttIc ChiIdrsn.
Are the labor unions trust7 This
Is the latest charge Of the Citizens In
dustrial association, and the Open
shop. the official organ Of the National
Metal Trades association. has taken II
up aud repeats the whitening accusa'
ton, says Shoe Workers Journal.
Il is plainly another case Of "the pot
calling the kettle black" but the charge
really deserves an answer, for the Citi.
GEMS Industrial association at ifs re-
cent convention In ST. Louis passed
a resolution calling the attention OF
congress and the president to the fact
that 1t had dispassionately considered
the question and had decided that the
labor unions are trusts and that they
ought to be subject to the same inves
tigations that the other trusts are re-
celving at this time.
Whatever congress or the president
decides about the question it would be
well to remind the members OF the
Citizens Industrial association that the
labor unions, unlike the trusts, invite
investigation at nll times And If the
labor unions look like trusts to the
trusts OF capital that are organized to
extermlnate them, let the public re-
member that no charge has ever been
made against the labor unions OF buy.
ing seats In the United States senate.
Of debauclling congress, OF bribing
state legislatures from coast to coast,
Of gambling m stocks IN Wall street,
stealing control Of great railroad sys-
tens BY using the peoples money In
the savings banks and the insurance
companies or Of joining combinations
to force up the prIceso Of coal and beef
and the other necessities Of life.
While defending the trusts against
the labor unions most Of the time, the
public is now treated TO the spectacle
OF the Citizens Industrial association
executing an about face and charging
that organized labor Ii just as bad as
the trusts anyway. Although this
charge OF itself 10 Of no consequence,
organized labor is willing TO admit
that, like the trusts, 1t is seeking to
tx the price Of the worklngman's toll.
The trusts are trying to force wages
down; Che labor unions are trying TO
force them zip. In this world one has
TO fight fire with IRE. In on ideal state
with ideal employers a labor union
would NOT be necessary. IL all EN-.
ployers in the beginning had willingly
conceded just wages and fair hours Of
labor there would not be such thing
as labor union today.
II tie workers had not organized,
would there ever have been sreh
thing as an eight hour day in American
Would there ever have been such q
thing as Cancellation and the arDlsra-
ton Of labor disputes? Would all EN-.
ployers voluntarily have advanced The
wages OF their men from time to lime.
az their profits increased and The high
or cost OF living demanded greater
earning capacity by the individual Ia.
boring man1
we tilluk not 1ht trust baApbH
would have said TO the laborcr, IF you
don't want to work for me at the wages
see ut 10 give, quit and Ftarve." Just /
as they say to the people today who
buy their sugar, their beef and their
oil, III you don't want to pay The price
charge, 60 hungry or 90 without
light"
But there really is a basis for a com
parison Of the trusts and Lhe labor
unions. The idea, however, is an old
one and has been resorted TO before by
the enemies OF union labor Like the
trusts, iabor unions IRE eehsh in that
they are organized to secure better
wages and better conditions Of labor
for the workingman They were not
organized 10 secure better wages for
the life insurance president or for ID. NJ.
Parry or to increase the profits Of the
coal operators. The leaders OF organ
izcd labor know that these individuals
are able 70 shift for themselves. II
they lose their positions or have 70 give
up their business they VIII not starye.
But since the labor union does not try
TO do something charitable for the capt.
tslIsts It can be called a selfish Organi-
cation
Let II be clearly understood, however,
that the alleged scihsbness Of the labor
unions IS entirely different from the
selhshness Of the trusts. The selfish
ness Of the trusts only puts added mill
lions into the pockets 81 few indlvld.
uals who already are rich beyond their
necessities. Il Is a selhshness that puts
more wealth. more power, into the
hands Of men who are exploiting soci.
ETY.
But the selfishneas Of the labor union
puts bread into the mouths Of little
children, abolishes child labor and car.
riss hope and cheer and education into
millions Of homes. II is a selfshness
that takes from those who have more
than they are entitled to and gives 70
those who have nothing II is a selfish
ness that makes existence possible for
every man and woman who has 10
work for a living In this great country
Of millions Of toilers.
Upon this point let vs. listen to Hon.