The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1907-05-24

d rover STANDARD or living IOr our
selves, and then we do object in no
uncertain manner. 1t may even in
Cerfere with what is often mistaken
~ referred to as the personal liberty
Of the Individual Rather, it seems
70 US as personal abuse Of liberty; for
where is there exercise Of liberty when
an emplOye works for wages that will
not house, feed and cloth him and his
70 mily2 Where is there lif erty when
4 II an accepts a wage that he knows
" IL not permit him to live without
titt' assistance Of char ~ This cues
tiUn Of personal liLe-ty II much mis-
represented, and particularly so when
the workman has the choice between
starvation wages and the almshOuse.
We stand for the Independent
workman; not for the individual, but
for the mass taken collectively, and
working as an individual It is the
highest form Of the labor OrganiZa-
ton movement 1t deprives the work
man Of his liberty only 70 the extent
that he shares in his Self-gOvernment
with others, just as you and sacri-
flee our individuality when we obey
the laws Of OU- country We are free
and Independent to this extent ami
no further So IL is with the man in
an OrgaEiZRtiOn- lie - Independent
to the extent Of the ability Of his or
ganizatiOn to make him So Without
an organization he may retain all Of
his personal liberty as il relates to a
QlNlSlOn OF II Win MS LGlLOWSr DuL ne
has none at all when he asks for
work, and must accept such wages
as his employer allows, or take his
personal liberty over the hills to the
poor house We do not stand for that
kiHd Of personal liberty.
THE progressive labor OrganiZa-
ton Of today is an effective force for
general good. It is not working for
the immediate present only, but for
the future. Every. move il makes is
for all time Questions OF expediency
that promise temporary results are
not set above substantial principles OF
peTmanenCy. We do not follow the
viii o the wisp Of the moment,
however ailuring il may be, but stand
fast to those policies that endure We
build slowly, but we build for all time
We cannot sacrifice reputation for
mOmentary gain We realize that our
word must be as good as our bond,
and I know I speak adviSedly when 1
say that there are about 5000 mem
bers Of this organization who stand
with me in declaring that they VIII
abide by their agreements with their
employers when they have been regu-
larry made, regardless Of what others
uIsy say concerning US
There is no halfway policy with
the Brotherhood Of Railroad Trainmen
on this vital principle Of labor or
ganiZatiOn conduct Here and there
certain ones have been led astray, but
the organization itself Will always
stand to its contracts and carry out its
obligations. One Of the most difficult
lessons that organized labor has TO
learn is to keep its word inviOlate-
The brotherhood is recognized as fair
and above board in its dealings, and
its reputation for business integrity
is not challenged by either the en-
plOyer or the fair-minded members
Of other organizations It is a pleas
ure also to say that our associate or
just as insiStent in following the same
The labor organizations Of this
country have been the economic
schools in which the masses have been
brought together, and their ideas Of
ed with those Of the better paid class
es Of wage workers They often are
the only school the workman has ever
known. They afford men an oppor-
tunity Of training themselves in self
government and the art OF discipline
I know many men who gained their
education after they came to the bro
therhOOd and say the advantages their
fellows had as compared Wlth. their
own They came to IL without pur-
pose, without economic knowledge OF
any kind, with their ideas distorted
by false and prejudiced theories IL
has been the work Of the brotherhood
to open their eyes to knowledge or
right, to start them correctly as to the
relations Of the citizen Of the state
and Of the emplOye to their employ
er
I'VE have given our attention TO
legislation that is intended to protect
every man. woman and child in en-
pIoyment; to secure the same appica-
ton OF law to every person living un-
der its jurisdiction, and to bring about
a condition wherein the man can be
the bread winner, the woman the
queen Of the freSide, and the chill
dren can go to the school and the
playground instead Of to the lOOms to
the machines or out into the street In
all things we strive for a better work
ing and living condition, and a con-
seCuently higher degree OF citizen
skip
Peace Preferred to Strike
Primarily we are for peace, and
we are for II all the time under pro
per conditions Strikes are drastic and
especially 50 where the interests OF
the public are so closely interviewer
as they are with the railway The past
year has demonstrated that We are
not inclined to take unfair advantage
OF a situation. for labor has been
scarce, particularly experienced rail-
road labor.
1--WE wi confer a long time before
We viii strike. but if the necessity
cones and there IS nothing else 70