The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-07-21
Unions AND LEADERS
N0T SUDDEN FLASHES
Labor Organizations Not Formed
for the Purpose Of De-
stroying Capital.
Neither Are Labor Leaders YAM
pires or Parasites-They
do Useful Work.

Labor organizations are not formed
for the purpose of dispossessing capital
of its rightful possessions. or even of
that which 1t wrongfully holds but
are formed In the interests of wage
earners to secure for them better and
more humane living conditions.
Whenever th.< Efforts Of these organ
izations to secure what rightfully be-
long to labor through the adjustment
of grevious wrongs eliminates IN
strike which becomes important
enough to become a public inconven-
ience, labor and it's leaders are abusiv-
ly assailed by the irresponsible OF the
clergymen who have commercialized
their calling, and subsidized Judges
barricaded with the monstrous power
of injunctions. This but serves to
excite and inflame that portion of wage
earners already rendered desperate by
the cruel wrongs inflicted by capital
lists, the scientific slave holders OF our
present era, and to more firmly i'm
press 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 or
ganized efforts o. their union. They
are strong in their convictifAs, backed
by every moral right, and courageous
to the point Of almost any sacrifice
in promoting the cause for which they
labor and when their work in this
direction is finished they can again
return to their benches, and taking
their tools again become producers of
wealth by honest toll, the onD way
by which the worlds store of wealth
Is added to and which few capitalists
so thoroughly know how to distribute.
1t Is not strange tnat against these
men, whose energy, zeal, slngleness OF
purpose and unfaltering devotion to
labors cause more than to anything
else, Is due thz gradual Improvement
gained for the toll hg masses, should
be directed the irritable and prejudi-
g. criticism OF prize hound capitalists
II their sycopnAntic followers. Labor
un.cns and le5c: leaders are not sud
dan a,hes whose forces ~lll be as
AMY s)-n: Tiey ars permanent
fl NJ. !, the loxic:I re-uae o. capitals
Lr ,te menls, here tD rom ain un-
I'll he futu;s discovss1s;E Ilofe rprac-
tical and speedltc IA tte-l CT e-nsn-
a. "a t..e grest RI aanrmY or mankind
E IN ~ ; .v2c-. Their Is no power
on cart tolay strong 'enousn to more
than temporarily disrupt organized -
ho
dismembered and rendered powerless,
and every local defeat 1t may suffer
makes it universally stronger. Every
defeat is compulsory educator teach
ing the wage Garner the helplessness
of his .unorganized state. The me ci-
less methods employed by capital dur
ing times of strike, to gain victory,
are the professors of labors cause, and
do more to drive labor to organize
tnan all of the printing presses and
vocal organs in Christendom.
Wage earners must organize. His
productive power is already organized
by capital for capital, and thero Is
nothing left for him to organize but
his opportunity which he organizes III
the form OF labor unions. Why should
not every man who works and is will
ling to work enjoy some rest and a
trifle of happiness when the fruits of
his labor give so much of both to
others? Labor does not organize from
choice. 1t organizes from necessity.
1t has organized rights which must
be upheld. Organized capital is a
great economic institution. the product
of progressive civilization, whose
economic power If welded in labor 8
cause would happily solve labor' s
problem, Organized labor with the
organized ballot will yet yield this
very power to ameliorate the condi-
tions of the masses. Labor will not
then ask where and how it can get
a living, but how best it can make