The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-06-27
LABOR COMBINATION.
FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST
FORCES or GREED.

When workmen stand Together
They Are In Position to secure d
Fair share Of the Products OF Their
Labor-Union Principle sound.
Professor John Bascom OF Williams
college, speaking on the rights Of labor,
recently said.
"The results OF undivided and ire
sponsible power In business have not
been fortunate whether we look at the
restless. speculative and nnsympathet-
ic temper Of management or at the dis
asters which II scatters III the commu-
nifty or at the overlapping claims and
oppressive wealth which 1t gives rise
to In the form of trusts. With work
men kept in ardependent position the
transaction Is not far or difficult to d
neglect Of all interests save those
which the manager has under consider
alton. Special production. special fran.
chises, special control OF the instru-
ment OF Commerce, enhanced by ex-
tended combination, at length give
monopoly OF advantages which threat.
en- the overthrow OF all equality OF
rights in the economic world. 1t has
been justly said that the combination
4 Of wOrkmen Is the first line of defense
i against the march Of a tyrannicaI few
4 toward a commercial conquest of the
world. We may wen recognize tile So
cial value Of this movement OF work
men to establish for themselves an eco
nomic footing aud to secure real
partnership In the wealth creating
4 process.
An essential step In the organic
4 growth of the community Is the combl-
nation of labor SingIy the employee
can make no terms with the employer.
He is easily pushed from the shore,
like spent swimmer. When workmen
stand together Ia recognition Of the
/ fact that labor Is a primary constitu-
ent ID all production they have d posi-
/ tion from which they can make con
tract with capital In defense Of mutual
rights.
''The limit OF business activity Is
bankruptcy; the limit OF labor is bare
subsistence. A minimum wage would
arrest both forms of decay ait an earli-
err stage. A minimum wage leaves the
ordinary standards OF life unassaiied
The workmen may as we'll stop while
! life Is endurable as TO be compelled to
stop when it has become uncomfortable.
j The recovery from the one position Is
| effected more speedily and with less
loss than from the other. 0verproduc-
ton has gone farther. the price Of com
moditics has fallen lower when the
downward movement has been left TO
complete. itself at the expense of the
Iaborer. The fallylng process becomes
painful and partial. The standard OF
life Is reduced. and the workman
iapses into stolidty az one who bears
burdens he cannot tighten. Civilization
thus becomes crushing weight.
"'The primary source of the trouble Is
\ an oyercrowded labor market Yet the
weakness which is incident TO numbers
makes itself felt through separate &C.
ton. Barbarians are easily defeated
because they are not trained TO act to-
gcther, Let workmen take thoughtful
and deliberate counsel aud the labor
\ market will take on new appearance.
II Is not the mere fact of numbers 4 al
occasions TIE difficulty any more than
1t is the swarm OF sayages that occa-
sions the slaughter.
''ln pursuing his purposes by the le'
Ultimate means of combination, a
method which Is the secret of civiliza-
ton, the workman has made some mis-.
takes. This was unavoidable and has
been partly due to his overlack of ex-
perience and partly TO the. unreasona-
bic opposition be has encountered. II
Il Is said that he has lost interest IN labor
and In many ways retards its speedy
accomplishment.
1.-THE labor movement has been the
occasion OF able. sustained and fair
minded leadership. II conference II
welcome and real grievances are point
ed out the workmen will not be the
last to correct them. The superiority
of leadership and rcasonebleness in ad
vancing claims was very manifest ir
the coal strike.
"The intelligent nonunion laborer di
rectly involved in strike frequently
recognizes this dependence Of interests
Ia employees and makes common cause
with the union. II Is the soundness Of
the underlying principle which has sus
tanned trades unions and carried then
forward in face Of tho opposition Of
employers. of the Indifference of the
community and Of majority OF their
own class"
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