The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1907-09-12
UNION IDEALS ARE
OF LOFTY NATURE
Organized Labor is an Institution That Has Come
to Stay---lts Most Bitter Opponents
Must Admit.

That organized labor is an insti,
tuition that has come to stay even
Its opponents are compelled to :id- :
NIT. That its ideals are high, lis
purposes noble, its history inspir-
ing and its achievements remark,
able and praiseworthy none can
deny. If now and then some indi-
vldual or some organization proves
false to it's principles or attempts
things that seem Incompatible with
its high ideals and noble purpose,
shat is no argument against organ
lied labor. There are men who
pose as Christians, even ministers
of the gospel, whose conduct justi-
ties the assertion that they wear
the livery of heaven the better to
to serve the devil, but that is no
argument against Christianity.
There are physicians and lawyers
who desecrate their profession for
the sake of money, but that is no
argument against medical science
or against Jurisprudence. Organ
lied labor has nothing to fear by
and members with the conduct Of
the people in any other walk Of
life.
When we see how corrupt are
the methods of the linancicrs of to-
day; how little they hesitate to de-
stroy another mans business il it
be III the way of their unjust and
unlawful designs; how they disre,
gard both moral and civil law in
their efforts to acquire wealth, we
cannot help but think that Our
country is rapidly becoming Il ma
ton where wealth accumulatcS
and men decay. Greed, tho desire
to get more out Of bargain than
one is justly entitled to, and the
disposition to deny others that
which they are justly entitled to is
the principal cause Of this condi-
ton. That it is menace to our
institutions and to the future wei.
fare of our country is now the be.
lief of all thoughtful, well meaning
men.
But years ago organized labor
sounded the alarm and began the
fight against those who would
make other paupers that they
themselves might be millionairs.
We are now told that if we do not
check this tendency to probe into
the methods of "high iinancc,' to
regulate Interstate commerce, to
fix railroad rates by law, to prevent
adultcration of foodstuf1S, etc. J,
that we are going to ruin tho bust
ness prospects Of our country. 1T
is only Il few years since we were
told that if we did not destroy or.
ganized labor it would ruin the
business prospects of the country.
Many who believed that cry now
themselves the vibtims of the same
forces that the laboting man has
been fighting for years. They can
now see that the same unjust spirit
that has always contrived to de-
prive the laboring man of justice
beginning to make others-business
! men, farmers, professional men and
even some employers-victims Of
| its greed, arrogance and dishonest
trickery.
The awakening of the people to
| this condition is sure to result
beneficially to heretofore, and will
bring into cooperation with organ
lied laborsome of the pref udice that
existed against organized labor. 1t
viii break down forces that opposed
or at looked aehance upon it in the
past? Organized labor will, there
fore, be able to meet the problems
of the future with wisdom and CON
fidence, and it its doctrine of a fair
days wages for a fair days work !,
its aim to have every man. woman
and child possess and enjoy all the
comforts of lie, were fully realized
it would do more to than any other
measure to counteract the evil that
results from the arrogance and
cupidity of those whose god is
mammon and whose aim is theiI
own enrichment, even though it
means the enslayement of the rest
| of mankind.