Evening journal., 1907-11-09

In common with an other readers or
THE EVENING JOURNAL, I have
read with pleasure the articles by our
woll-known townsman. Washington
Hastings. In the twenty-sixth article.
however, there appears a sentiment
that CRATES upon my nerves, l allude
TO Mr.. Hastings remarks on "trade
unions" was very forcibly reminded
lin reading that particular part OF Mr..
Hastings letter of the period of which
he wrote In such an interesting mon-
ner l. e.. the awakening OF the public
conscience to the horror of chattel
slavery, In those days just preceding
the Civil War. AS a rule the oldcr
men did not "size up to the situation.
IL was the men at least under 90 years
of age who met and solved that ques-
ton. So to-day. IN the tremendous
problem Of industrial slavery, it Is Of
necessity the younger men who grasp
the question.
The social problem Of this twentieth
century is far and away of greater pro-
portions than was the chattel slavery
question of 1860. The burning question
OF 1860 involved but 100000 of men.
The burning question" Of 1907 involves
100000 Of men: for. as Mr.. Hast
.ings has stated In a previous article,
i"10O men dictate the financial and in
dustrial condition Of the people"
Now. I desire IL 70 be understood that
IN this article / am not writing In my
official character as general organ
izer of the great labor movement" I
am writing as an individual Mr.. Hast
ings SAYS he does not believe that "all
men were created equal" But he does
believe that call men are endowed by
their creator with certain inalionable
rights. life. liberty and the pursuit cf
happiness"
Mr.. Hastings here expresses the
same idea that many pulpit friends Of
lmine. Protestant. Catholic and He
brew. give voice to. OF course we all
know "men are not born oquaP I'm the
lsense Of physical or mental powers CT
lin the advantages OF environments.
lNor did that great Democrat, the I'M
mortal Jefferson. intend such meaning.
lThe context. that they are endowed
with inalienable rights to life, liberty
! and the pursuit OF happiness explains
the text.
AR. Hastings concludes his TWENTY
sixth article with a quotation from
Lincoln. "That all men might be free
Now. If we were living under a system
of freedom. then ] would oppose labor
unions. Nay. II we were living undar
la system of freedom labor unions
would not exist. They would be as
unnecessary as "air unions But II
Those 100 men who control the INDUS
trial world to-day owned the air. then
we would have "air unions as well as
I"labor unions" AS an abstract propo-
lsition. admit that labor union men u'
sometimes infringe on personal no
lertv. But, as I have said. we are no
living under system OF liberty, o.
freedom. We are living under a des
nbtisn OF the meanest kind, despot
ism of ignorant, vulgar plutocracy'
despotism that crushes not only TN
ldav laborer. but also the small manu-
facturer. merchant and trader AM
so. until we secure freedom, until W.
reach the point "when all men shai p
free" whether he be laborer or manu-
facturer rich or poor, educated or isno
rant black or white, saint or sinner
IS endorse 'labor unions even with M
l-ltheir faults. for It Is TO the "labo
a union" alone we can credit all the hu
1lvance I'm the condition OF the wealu
f lnroducers for the past thirty-five years
IS To the 'labor union belongs the creni
.oe all the forward steps: The reduc
e tlon OF hours, the at least 'levellnl
II mr. Of wages 70 meet the swindle o
1.-the trusts" I'm advanced prices, th
T. factory acts" and above all TO IN
.rleternal honor OF the "labor unions,
l. lthev have been the one voice cryin
l. ont I'm the wilderness for the childre
lin the factories When the voters Q
lthis country declare for the "ope
shop" in the true sense; when the gian
lof graft. that plumbers labor and capl
ltal alike. is given its quietus, whe
: land monopoly Is killed, the 'labo
union" viii disappear. It's mission WI
have ended. AS to the interference O
labor union men with the individua
o who prefers being a traitor TO MS Tel
s lows. who prefers the role of Judas Is
e CARROT or Benedict Arnold to that OF
q man. organized labor" does not en-
D ldorse any method save that Of an Sp
! neal 10 reason, to honor, TO manhood
lThat individuals may at times us
lother methods Is possible, but organ
lied labor" IS not responsible for tina
mo more than the organizations know
1 las "Odd Fellows" or "Hibernians' ar
responsible for the acts Of individua
members. There does not exist to-da
lin America a Tabor organization tina