The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1907-12-05
THAT WAR FUND
OF VAN CLEAVE.
And His Manufacturers Association Receives the.
Attention Of Frank Duffy, National Secretary
of the Carpenters m Pithy Article.

The Manufactures, Association
at its last convention, backed up
the citizens alliances. and employ.
ers' organizations, raised a ..War
Fund" of one and half million
dollars-tor whnti 10 defend the
flag, to help pay Cuba's debt, for
the relief OF Porto Rico, to protect
our country from the invasion %
the JapS? Oh, no, but to put
trade udions out of business. They
are growing too powerlulland are a
menace to the peace, happiness
and welfare of the capitalist; they
have achieved too much success and
won too many victories within the
last few years. They are invading
the legislative halls ofthe nation.
II they only knew their strength
and acted united y they would put
one of there members III the Presi.
DENTAL chair at tho White House.
These are the fears that lie behind
chat "War Fund.' Therefore
something must be done, some
move must be made and some
action taken to check them.
Parry, rs head ofthe association
was Il failure sald accomplished
nothing. His sopen shop" hobby
did not work and he went down in
defeat. Post, his successor, was
worse and accomplished less.
Now Van Cleave, the great, the
conquering hero, the present head
of the Manufactures Association,
must do something or go down in
disgrace also. He opened lire on
the American Federation ofsLabor
by entering suit against the mem
bers of the executive council pro-
hibiting them from using the eve
don't patronize list - or, in other
words, Van Cleave aud mis- *fofiow-
ers wants to have full sway to do
as they please and to scab it with
out let or hinderancef from any one,
much less from members Of organ
lied labor. That "War Fund,,
don't scare us i'll the least. We,
the carpenters, members of the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners of American, can raise
a fund of one and half milton
dollars and even more at any time
to defend our interests, advocate
our cause and uphold our prin
ciples. Besides that, Mr.. Van
Cleaye, we can refuse and absolute
tly decline to purchase your goods.
You cannot make us buy what we
do not not want. II you could,
you would have entered suit against
US long ago. Our money is as good
to you as others-it all looks alike.
Who, therefore, cares for your
"War FundFr Not organized
labor. You had better ask the
Manufacturers Association to al
low you to use it for your own pur-
pose, to rebuild your lost business
and regain your former Standing
instead of throwing it away in an
effort to crush labor unions and
put them out of business altogether
If you think you cartaput them
down and out you are greatly mis-
taken. That has been tried be-
fore and has been a failure They
are stronger now than ever and are
here to stay. DON'T you think it
would be a good idea for your as
sociation to act differently, say in
lopposite direction-to meet organ
lied labor half way and work hand
III hand together instead of being
on the ''war path," as you now
are, for our scalpf DON'T you
think more good could be accom-
plished by that means than any
other? Don't you believe your
present policy is detrimental to
your best interestsl Do you be-
Iieve the wage workers have any
rights at ali7 If you do, come out
like men in the open and meet us
honestly. You will find we are
not such a bad lot after all.
Your "War Fund'' can be put
to far better use than fighting
trades unions. Use it in fighting
the "white plague' tuberculosis,
commonly known as consumption.
/ the scourge and the curse of the
American people. Use your
"War Fund" in protecting the
: lives of babes from the inclemency
, of the weather and the ravages of
cholera infantum. Use your I" ar
Fund.- in caring for the sick and
disabled and burying the dead
yes, use your ''Nar FUND.- for