The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-06-13

tine least concerned in conducting the.
warfare against union labor. All s!of
them, when privately discussing the
Weee satised VITA ra thar Union eae s
In q moment Of impatdence they had
entered into an agreement with cer-
tain Interests, under the terms Of
wnich they could make no settlement
Of those interests. ~ aiisss . 81. /. 8.
"The true cause for the enforced
lockout in Duluth has never. been gem
eranly known. Several business rea-
that the Steel Trust was Instrumental
in inaugurating the fight. for 1t was
stated that the big corporation would
not expend dollar in Duluth until the
IT there was anything in this report,
the officials OF the Steel Trust sue
ceeded in concealing Themselves. How
ever. I believe that the movement was
of exploiters OF Duluth real estate. and
q few petty officers in local organ
ization, known as the. Commercial
club. were taught to. believe that in
because Of the strong union labor sem
timent there. To make 1t easier to
pile up dollars for themselves, they
calculated that the only thing to do
undertook the job, but they evidently
had no conception of the immensely OF
"The labor organizations knew little
after, the first vicious, blow was
struck. I never saw such loyalty. I
never heard Of such fidelity to a cause,
as was shown. by my toiling brothers
even more courageous. than the lead
srs. Considering the duration OF the
conflict the assertions were mighty
few: The unions were ably Reinforced
Organized into anion labs Ieagnes;
and made things lively for the opposi-
ton. The heroism and sacrihces Of
the wives of the Duluth unionists gave
the men in the combat the necessary
why the a la Parryites of the Zenith
City have failed in their attempt to
defeat the trade union movement in
1T will take several months to get
gle In Duluth. A number of non
unionists were secured, but many Of
them do not come up to. the standard
time when they viii be supplemented
by mon with the union card. With the
return of Industrial activity the Du-
luth unions will again be placed in
c4ntrol; and We are certain no future
attempt will be made to destroy taem.
But few cities in the state escaped
an attack of some sort from the same
influences which operated in Duluth,
and the unions in most Of these cities
succeeded In holding their own in the
combats. A glance over tine industrial
field at this moment indicates that the
worst blows have been dealt. Union
Labor has survived the attack with
our forces properly lined up. and show
good Judgment in our directions Of the
movement we shall have, little further
to fear in the field Of economics.
BOycOtts, Courts and Union Label.
las mas been previously stated the
trade unions have been considerably
disarmed during the past year by UNI
friendly court decisions. Adverse judg
ments have been rendered with such
frequency of late that It is becoming
difficult TO- determine what we have a
right to do.
union labor has pursued a well
DEFINED policy for number Of years,
and In doing so, supposed 1T was act
Ing within its legal rights:
LAS the lines Of demarkation are BE-
Ing drawn by the courts, there seems
to be no security for labor unless CON
grsss can be induced by statutory en-
actment to define what 1t is lawful for
Under a recent ruling by the high
est: judicial tribunal in our. land the
trade union has been placed in the
same category as trust, and any ac-
to withhold their patronage :. from
firms unfriendly to union labor mas
been interpreted as conspiracy in re-
straint Of trade.
TRADE unions are thus made amen
able to the provisions of the. so-callei
Sherman antitrust law. BoycottinE is
thus made a federal offense.,. and union
labor men who boycott are liable 20
punishment in the criminal courts.
and far reaching handed down by the
supreme court Of the United States; in
recent years. 1t is wider in its scope
than the Infamous Dred-Scott decision,
away slaves, while the recent decision
involves every worker and every SYM
pathizer with the. ennobling work Of
the labor movement, Of our land.
declared punishable under trust pen
alties It may not be arniss to point out
how widely different Is a labor union
from a trust. -,c.
declared a trust by the supreme court
In. Its decision, yet it CONSTITUTES, for
the punishment Of the unions law
which was only intended for illegal
trusts.
"The labor union is not a trust; mona
Of its achievements. in benalf, of its
members-and society at 1arge-can
properly be COMPOUNDED with the per
nicious and selfish activities. Of thu
is an organization of the few to
monopolize the production, and control
the distribution of a material product
Of some kind. "
THE voluntary association of the
workers for mutual benefit and. assist
ance is essentially different. Even II
they seek to control the disposition of
their labor power, it must be remem-
bered that the power to labor is not a
| material commodity.
There can not be a trust in some
| thing which is not yet produced.
The human power to produce is the
| antithesis Of the material comm odities
which become the subject Of trust
| control. IT. = - :
Elm what respect can there be any
| similarity between trust and an or
gan12ation Of labor which controls nc
| commodity in commerce ana invites
whosoever will, among the workers tc
become members and partake Of the
benefits of collective bargaining and
associated effort? II any one Who !,
! near enough to earth to observe the
operations Of the two it must be
clearly apparent that the spirit Of tht
! trade union or labor organization 4,
| the very opposite Of the trust spirit
! The trusts themselves recognize the
trade union as an opposition move.
| ment, opposed to all Attempts to monop.
Ollie the necessities of life. IS
| 1T is said that self1shness is at thu
basis Of both institutions. There is al