The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-07-11
WHY TRADES UNIONS?
WORKERS ORGANIZE TO SECURE
BETTER CONDITIONS.

The Labor Movement Is No Sudden
Flash, but Permanent FIxtrre-It
10 the Logical Result Of capitaIistic
Injustice and Greed.
Labor organizations are not formed
for the purpose Of dlspossessing capl-
tai Of its rightfuI possessions, or even
Of that which It wrongfully holds, but
ARE formed in the interests of wage
earners to secure for them better and
more humane living conditions.
Whenever the efforts OF these organ
iZations to secure what rightfuIly be-
longs TO labor through the adjustment
Of grleeious wrongs eliminates In a
strike which becomes important enough
TO become a public Inconvenience. La.
Dor and its leaders are abusively as.
sailed by the irresponsible Of the cler-
grmen who have commercializad their
calling anu subsidized judges barricad-
ed with the monstrous power Of in.
functions. This but serves to excite
and infame that portion OF wage earn.
ers already rendered desperate By the
cruel wrongs inflicted by capitalists.
the scientific slave holders or our pres
ent era, and to more Array impress
upon the minds Of the thoughtful and
Industrious the absolute necessity Of
organized strength.
Labor leaders are neither vampires
nor parasites, but able. conscientious
and self sacrificing men, who removed
their trappings and left their benches
at the call OF their fellow wage earners
as being best fitted to direct the organ
lied efforts of their union. They are
strong in their convictions, backed by
every moral right. and courageous to
the point OF almost any sacrifice in
promoting the cause for which they la
Dor, and when their work in this dlrec-
ton is finished they can again return
70 their benches and, taking their tools
again, become producers 81 wealth hy
honest toll, the only way by which the
worlds store Of wealth is added 10 and
which few capitalists SO thoroughly
know how to distribute.
II Is not strange that against these
men, whose energy, zeal, slngleness Of
purpose and nnfaltering devotion to
lahor's cause more than to anything
else is due the gradual Improvement
gained for the toiling masses, should
be directed the irritable and prejudi-
cial criticism % pride bound capitalists
and their sycophantic followers. La
Dor unions and labor Leaders are not
sudden flashes whose forces will be as
suddenly spent They are permanent
fixtures, the logical result OF capitals
lnsatiate demands. here 10 remain until
the future discovers more practical
and speedier method OF emanclpating
the great majority of mankind from
wage slavery. There Is no power on
earth today strong enough TO more
than temporarily disrupt organized la
Dor. II never again can lie effectuaily
dismembered and rendered powerless.
and every local defeat it may suffer
makes II universally stronger. Every
defeat Is compulsory educator teach.
ing the wage Garner the helplessness
of his unorganized state. The merci-
less methods employed by capital dur
ing times Of strike to gain victory are
the professors Of labor's cause and do
more TO drive labor to organize than
all OF the printing presses and vocal
organs IN Christendom.
The wage Garner must organize. His
productive power Is already organized
by capital for capital, and there is
nothing left for him to organize but
his opportunity. which he organizes IN
the form OF labor unions. Why should
not every mau who works and is viii
ing TO work enjoy some rest and tribe
of happiness when the fruits of his
labor give so much OF both TO Others
Labor does not organize from choice
II organizes from necessity. II has
organized rights which must be up,
held Organized capital Is great eco.
nornlc institution the product Of pro-
gresslvc civilization, whose economic
power IL welded IN iabor's cause would
happily solve labor's problem, Organ
lied labor with the organized ballot
will vet yield this very power 10 amelI.
crate the conditions of the masses.
Labor viii not then ask where and how
1t can get living. but how best il can
make that living happy shoe Work
ers' Journal.