The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-09-17
lanes Duncan.
First Vice President, American
Federation of Labor.

First Vice President, American
Federation of Labor.
The progress of an economic
movement can be measured by the
opposition to it. When the
activities of the workers for better
ment were 'simmering, as it were,
and either for lack of numbers,
leadership or power were not much
in evidence, the non-producine
rich and the corporation attorney
patted such a movement on the
back, or ignored it, With time
came advancement. The things
for which the workers were club
bed or imprisoned n few ears ago
are now recognized. The new de-
mands of organized labor encount-
cred opposition from the same
sources, but by other methods.
Twenty-Five years ago it was
difficult to get Il report into daily
paper about a labor meeting, but
this has changed. At first only
adverse reports were published,
but evolution is doing its part and
even now in literary circles and in
public halls economics are more
discussed than all other subjects.
Education and commerce make
and keep a country great and that
which tends to their Improvement
helps the nation. On this found
alton all else is built. True. the
political arena makes the most
noise, but politics or the system of
frnI ,S,i, Il 4 l.
the state to administer certain
rules for the maintenance of order
and for the regulation OF COM
merce. If unalloyed justice be-
tween man and man were as evil
dent as political ,trickery is abund-
ant, there would be less need for
regulative law, consequently as
between economics and politics the
former is the greater. AS a means
to an end, however, the workers
while relying on economic organi-
zation should not permit the non
producing schemers to control
political organization, but should
and will in time extend the same
ennobling influence to politics
they have given to economies
This requires education and con-
tidence, time and vigilance, but he
who diagnoses differently has not
a clear conception of the philo-
sophy of the labor movement.
In recent years effort has been
made by tho whose God is the
dollar. to attack popular govern
ment by trying TO divide the
people into classes. Perpctuation
of democracy and the safeguarding
of the Republic depends upon the
common people. Van Cleave said
at the Chicago Republican con-
vention ''What do labor men want
here! Let them go to the Demo
cratic convention at Denver, where
they belong"' If his exclamation
means anything, it is that "the
interests control the Republican
party and would forbid it to listen
to a committee of workingmen.
As liberty loving citizens we
protest against class legislation.
We ask no more than equality
under the law. We will be con-
tent with nothing less.
We object to equity courts
manufacturing injunction laws to
deprive union men during labor
disputes of the freedom of speech
and locomotion conceded to others.
We ask for no exemption rom
legal process which which m Y be
properly applied to other citizens.
We will not tamely submit to
any species of decisions which at
tempts to put us into class
Il -
cedure. We Will cheerfulIy sup
port the institutions of our country.
federal and state, as we have done
IN the past. and will utilize the
rights guaranteed to us in every
lawful manner to secure redress
when unjustly treated
This is not defaming the courts.
nor belittling their proper func
lions 1t is full-grown citizen
Ship