The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-01-19
CHRONIC UNION FAULT
FINDER WORKS DAMAGE
He Is the One Who Maligns
Officers and Is Ever Com
planning About Labor.
Editor Has His Say as Re-
CARDS This Species Of Men,
bers Of Labor Unions.

Credit for the following article is
due the editor of the Coopers Journal
and he depicts a species Of mankind
so familiar that we take pleasure in
reproducing it:
1t is perfectly proper that we, in
this column, attack with all our might
the thing which stands out most
prominently in the way Of the pro-
gress Of our organization. and in order
to do so, most emphatically, we find
1t necessary to employ the plainest
kind Of language. The chief weakness
in our organization today is the weak
ness of the chronic union Pathfinder.
He seems to abound In nearly all To-
cal unions and examples Of discomfort
with the union. wrought by the seeds
Of disruption ssoWns by these chronic
fault -fiAdeHss ent II, taearlY, iif
mot 6 q 8
'portant parf 0f the dastardly work 81
this species OF so-called union man to
poison the minds of the local members
against the general officers. The off,
GERS are not materially injured by the
constant pounding which they get and
personally may or may not care, for
usually the imaginary charges which
the trouble monger prates about can
be cleared up in about two minutes by
the officer assailed, If he happens to
stumble upon an opportunity. but the
unfortunate part of it is that the gen.
eral officers noe being omnipresent,
like the great Father Of the universe,
cannot be everywhere at the same
time, and therefore must be the silent
recipient Of these many cowardly
assaults without a shadow Of a chance
at defense. But as a matter Of fact,
the organization which they represent
is seriously injured and it's usefulness
impaired by the creation of suspicion,
doubt and lack Of confidence in the
men who are put at it's head. Here is
where the harm is done and it Is to
this phase Of the subject that we pro-
pose to devote our attention. No man
who Is honest will continue member
ship in an organization which he be-
lieves is differed by crooks, thieves or
ignoramuses, and Of those who believe
stay in the organization ever so honor
able and ever SO faithful, each indi-
vidual member cannot have the oppor-
tunity Of a personal acquaintance with
them and without an intimate knowl-
edge of their personality, men who
under ordinary circumstances are fair
minded. fall ready victims to the lying
propensity Of the poisonous reptile
whom we have herein characterized as
the chronic union Pathfinder, and
thus the general officers are convicted
Of almost every crime in the trade
upon calendar without a trial or with
out even a knowledge that they have
been charged The fault finder de-
clares "head-quarters is no good. They
are all rotten up there, all they want
Is your money" and thus the seed Of
distrust Is sown In the mind of the
otherwise would-be good union man
and gradually pounded in, there to re-
main unquestioned, unless by chance
he Is brought face to face with I'M
questionable evidence Of the honesty
and fidelity of the official assailed.
When these vile charges are made be-
hind the backs of the general officers
there are often men present who know
they are untrue, but imbued, as many
are, with an inherent weakness, thew
haven't the moral courage to get up
and defend the absent officer, who Is
tried, convicted and executed often
times without even knowing Of the
circumstance.
The success of the union must in
evitably depend upon the intelligent
standard Of it's members. If they are
weak, it will be weak; If they are
strong, it will be strong. Why can
we not put aside these inherent weak
nesses, and for the sake Of union, be
men?