The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-12-21
open SHOP CAMPAIGN
SYNONYM \ Of FRAUD.
It's Advocates Though Professedly
Claiming to Be Actuated by
the Highest Motives,
Are Really Nothing But Wolves
in Sleeps Clothing Actuated
Wholly by Greed.


ranny Of labor unions: and to secure
to every man the right to- work when
and where he pleases.
They profess that every workingman
may or may not belong to labor
union at his own option, but the union
is not to be recognized in any way in
the, open shop, where freedom and
equality are alleged to- abide, but
which in fact is the home of despot.
Ism.
They say that the rules Of unions
ab,idge the right of contract which
should be free and unrestricted.
Restrictions Always Prevailed.
When was the right Of contract I'M
restricted? IllustrAtions:
!. A owns a piecesof land and wants
to; build a house. He finds that his
right to contraction a house is abridg-
ed by laws which require him to OBJ
serve certain sanitary rules and cer-
tain safety construction regulations.
2. A owns piece of land in a resi-
dentia! section and starts to build
soap factory. His enterprise is ad-
judged 4 nuisance and he is stopped
by law, He had no. right to inflict
good faith developed a residential dis
trict.
3. Freedom of contract would seem
to permit man to. sell what he owns,
but man owning liquor can only sell
it within certain specified conditions
and hours, and in many states not at
all.
H.. In many cases a man may be
punished by law if he refuses to sen
what he owns, as for instance hotel
keeper who having empty rooms re-
fuses to accept a guest,
{. In Massachusetts woman can
legally work only So hours per week
regardless Of what her desires in the
matter may be. -
6. You own a decrepit horse which
you are about to sell to a peddler for
$500. The society with long name
comes along and has you arrested ana
fined. for cruelty to- animals. and kills
yo1r horse.
Z. Perhaps you want to work on
Sundays. but the law says you shall
not except in certain specified in
stances.
z. The law says that any contract
you make on Sunday or any legal hol-
iday Is void. -;
For the Public Good.
III all the foregoing illustrations and
! countless others athe' so-called sacred
right of CONTRACT has been restricted
for the public good.
Modern society does not permit tho
Individual to do as he wishes without
| regard tc the rights or well-being Of
his fellows.
| Robinson Crusoe was free and fnde-
! pendent and ran his own business un-
| til he found Friday-t1len he ran FRI
| days business. This was very wrong
! of Crusoe, but a very natural act
judged by human standards.
Almost without exception the strong
subdue, Cypress and plumber the weak.
Speaking industrially as well as
economically we have in modern or
dent one upon the other that in a
large measure what is the business of
one of US is the business Of all of US.
| These advocates of the open shop
seek to disfranchise labor Of its in
! dustrial vote. They seek to establish
an industrial kingdom, composed Of
few 'Crusoes" and many Fridays"
Enmity of Labor Unions.
They will deny this impeachment
but, nevertheless, underneath their
fair professions, lies deadly enmity to
labor unions, and selfish purpose for
financial gain to control the wages
the hours, and. the lives Of their en-
ployes, the "F,ridays,'' Of their indus
| try.
How? The following incident will
| show:
A few week ago the writer was
sitting in the smoking room of a Pull
! man sleeping car, coming east, and as
the writer looks like ready money, and
would not be suspected of being in
terested in labor unions, he involun-
tarily. heard some gentlemen convers-
ing in a full tone Of voice.
One of the gentlemen was an eastern
man, who had been in the west for
several years managing large manu-
| featuring business: In the party were
several of his friends, and he was
! telling them about his labor troubles
and how he handled them.
He had strike and. declared the
open shop. To quote him: you can
beat them (the unions) every time with
teh open shop. 1t sounds fair because
you say you will employ without re-
gard to whether they are members Of
unions or not, and you say each en-
ploye may or ma not belong to a
union as he sees tit, and you will not
discriminate. Still there are ways you
can find out what is going on among
your employees. land there are ways to
get rid Of dangerous elements without
discrimination against union members.
Ha! Ha! Ha! n -.
Hypocrisy Their slogan.
Maintain the right of all to work"
(laughter} "and weed out the aglta-
tors, (more laughter). Form a mu-
tual benefit society among your en-
ployes. making a small donation your
self conditional upon the employees
paying dues and supporting the So
ciety thereafter. Let the officers of
the society be elected in the different
departments under the Immediate sup