The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-01-16
Right and Humane Treatment For
the Toilers is Principle for
Which Union Shop is Fighting.
open Shop" Means Long Hours,
Starvation Wages and the Utter
Destruction of Organized Labor
throughout the Country.

III discussing tne subjective
merits of any real retorma
tory measure, we should al
ways distinguish between the in.
trin>ic worth, of the me sure itself.
and the methods used by its adj.
hercnts in giving expression to it in
adjusting and regu. ating the affairs
of human society.
If the line of demarkation be-
tween the two-meaSure and
method-be not kept clearly in
view, confusion of thought will be
the inevitable result and the indi.
vidual is rendered incapable of
judging righteous judgment.
We are persuaded that many of
the attacks upon the wage earner's
umion-shops as an institution, have
been occasioned by confouuding
OF measure with method. ANY
local departure by a wage earners'
unionshop anywhere from wise
methods of procedure is charged
up by our enemies against the
ge.earnerS' union shop every
where. So you see as loyal trade
uniOniSts we have a double duty to
pertorm-educate those who come
to us and enlighten those who are
not of us.
Let it be understood once for all.
that while union men are the oc-
caslon of the union shop in their
respective crafts they are not the
creators of it. The principle
which i'll Gods process of evolu-
ton materializeS in the union-shop
was projected by the creators into
nature with the first dawn of its
existence.
The instinct of self preservation
exists III more or less degree in
all animate creation from the low
est to the highest forms; and it is
singular fact, that the cause
which conStrains the fowls of the
air to form tlocks, and the fishes
IN the sea TO form shoals, and
the animals on land to congregate
III herds, is the very same cause
"hlch generates in men of similar
vocatlons feeling of brotherhood,
IN It eliminates in the union shop
being established in fact, though
perhaps not always by that name,
IN practically every department of
humane endeavor. What is that
cause? Answer: A community
OF interest. Let this cause be
present and you can no more pre-
vent its producing it's natural
effect the unions shop in some form
or other, than you can prevent
water from becoming steam when
heated to the proper temperature.
lhe very universally of the
unconscious idea proves the exist
ehce of an underlying principle
upon which the assaults of thous-
ana million manufactures aSSoci-
atlonS VIII have as little perman-
eht effect as the barking of as
many million ours can have upon
me composition of the moon.
The strange thing about it all is
'hat the very men who are the
most savage in their attacks upon
the union-shop of the wage earners,
themselves everyone of them have
'union-Shop' of their own. more
callously and unfeeling "closed"
IMAM any wage earnerS' union-shop
IN the world. Consistency is
Jewel so rare in the ranks of the
union smashing conspirators that
the most powerful microscope
could not detect it.
Did they distinguish between
measure and methods, and had
any substantial grievances against
methods, there is not a wage
earners' union-shop but would
meet them more than half way
10 correct any abuses howsoever
Sllght. But it is not the redress of
grievances the gentlemen are after,
out the reputation of solemn con-
tracts, and the destruction of or
canned labor, in the hope that
they may have free hand to re
duce wages to a starvation basis,
and generally demoralize wage
earning conditions. They have
not yet succeeded and they never
will.