The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-04-14
WHAT THEY THINK
Of TRADE UNIONS
ORGANIZED Labor Is Commend
ed BY Scholars, Statesmen
and Theologians.
Labor Has Rights For It's Pre-
servation-Capital. Also
Has It's Claims.

scholars and theologians in the rights
of labor, are highly important at this
day:
Abraham Lincoln-Capital is the
fruit of labor, and could not exist IT
labor had not first existed. Labor
therefore, deserves much the higher
consideration.
Cardinal Manning-Labor is capital.
Labor has the same right to protect
itself by trade-uniOns, etc. as any
other form of capital might claim for
itself.
Thorold Rogers, Professor Of Political
Economy, University of Oxford-1
look at the trade unions as the prin-
cipal means of beneftting the cond1-
tions Of the working classes.
Judge Bland of Appellate Court of
MissOuri-Trade unions are authorized
by our statutes and are approved and
supported by the enlightened sencS<lent
Of all right thinking men, and their
benefits, both to their members and the
general public, are seen and appreciat-
ed by every unprejudioed mind. -.
Wendell Phillips-I rejoice at every
effort workingmen make to organize.
I hail the labor movement. It is
my only hope for democracy.
Organize and stand together. Let the
nation hear a united demand from the
laboring voice.
Ernest Howard Crosby, President So
cial Reform Club, New York-No wage
Garner is doing his full duty If he fails
to identify his own interests with those
Of his fellow workmen. The obvious
way to make common cause with them
is to join a trade union, and thus Sc
cure position from which to strength
en- organized labor and influence it for
the better.
Bishop Potter-Organization co-or-
dination, cooperation, are the right Of
everybody Of men whose aims are
worthy and equitable; and must needs
be the resources Of those who, 1ndi-
vidally, are unable to persuade their
fellow men to recognize the justice Of
their claims and principles. If en-
ployed within lawful and peaceful lin
Its, it may rightly hope to be a means
Of educating society in a spirit Of fair
ness and practical brotherhood.
Hon. W. E. Gladstone-Trade unions
are the bulwarks of democracies.
as desperate a fight against organized
labor as was ever made by mortal man.
1t cost me considerably more than
million dollars to learn that there is no
labor so skilled, so Intelligent. so faith
full as that which Is governed by an
organization whose officials are we'll
balanced, level-headed men.
now employ none but organized labor,
and never have the lest trouble, each
believeing that the one has no right to
oppress the other.
Commissioner Downing in report
from Bureau Of Labor Statistics-It Is
clear that the working people Of the
state (New York; have reaped innum-
erable benefits through the influence
Of the associations devoted to their in
terests. Wages have been increased;
working time has been reduced; the
membership roles have been largely
augmented; distressed members have
received pecuniary relief; general con-
ditions have been improved and labor
has been elevated to high position
in the social scale.
DR.. McKim, pastor church of Epi-
phany, Washington, D. C.-Consider
what organized labor has done to i'm
prove the condition of the working
men. Seventy or eighty years ago
the condition Of laborers in the factor
les were far worse than the condition
Of the slaves in the south. have lived
In the south and know that the mater
ial condition Of the slaves was better.
In 1928, in many of the mills Of this
country, the women and children had
to go to work at 4:30 o'clock in the
morning, and to continue work four
teen or fifteen hours a day. Labor or
ganizat1ons have done splendid work,
and honor them. They have been lift
ing UP the masses Of people, who are
not contented any more. Their ambi-
ton is aroused to be men and wom-
en-, and their song is: Eight hours
for work, eight hours for sleep and
eight hours to do what we WILL"
do not say whether in the present con-
dit1ons of labor the eight-hour day
Is always attainable; but oil these
things are to be adjudged by the effect
that they have on manhood and wom-
an-hood. They want some time to
look away from their work out on the
great world, and to breathe the pure
air Of heaven; they want some time
with their families; and, therefore,
their discomfort is healthful.
National Association Of Builders
We declare that not only are organ
1zations Of workmen right and prop
er, but they have the elements, If wise
ly administered, Of advantage and
benfit to the employer.
John K. Ingram, l.. L. D.-Attacked
and denounced as scarcely any other
institution has ever been, the unions
have thriven and grown in the face of
opposition. This healthy vitality has
been due to the fact that they were a.
genuine product Of social needs-in-
dispensable as a protest and struggle
against the abuses Of Industrial gov
ernment, and inevitable as a conse-
quence Of that consciousness of
strength inspired by the concentration
Of numbers under the new conditions
of industry. They have been, as is now
admitted, by almost all candid minds.
instruments Of progress. Not to speak
Of the material advantages they have
gained Tor workingmen, they have de-
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