The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-04-30
HOW TO END ALL
THE LABOR TROUBLE
John Mitchell SaysHe Believes the
Plain Truth VIII End Conflict.

l am trade unionist I am
hot one of those who believe that
the trade union is the ultimate. 1
recognize the fact that there is a
great evolutionary movement going
on; that is slowly but surely
changing our social life. But
nevertheless my experience has
satisfied me that the trade union
movement is the best movement
ever born for the amelioration of
the conditions of those who toll.
l believe that the trade union
movement stood for nothing else
than securing few cents niger
wages or securing a few hours less
labor, l would leave it if thought
that Is all it does, / would Quit the
trade union movement and | would
try to start myself Il new move
ment. But l believe it does more
than that. l believe the trade
union movement raises the stand.
ard OF our citizenship, 1 believe
1T raises the manhood and the.
womanhood aud the childhood Of
all our people. And any move
ment that eieVates society, that
elevates the manhood and woman
hood of our people, contributes
lmm"aSurabiy to the welfare Of our
people and to the good of our
country.
l am not an OLD man yet, but I
nave seen many practical results
from the trade union movement.
4 have seen in my Iife thousands
who employed labor aud thousands
who labor, brought together and
made to work in ll..lillu...
do not believe that in our
country there should be an ire
concll..bie conflict between labor
and capital. Notwithstanding the
TACT that / have gon. through
quite a number Of $ prii>es, / have
NOT yet abandoned my opinion that
II the repre>et tativcS of labor can
b@ br 'uSht together, ii they can
sit down IN honest conferences: if
they. viii look one another straight
III the csc and tell one another the
absolute truth, believe when that
IS done that the day Of conflict
between labor and capital will end
have never been one to believe
you help labor by dcnuunclng
capital, l am one Of those who
believe that there is not one wrong
that labor suffers which it did not
bring on Itself. | do not believe
either, that any Of us are poor be-
cause we cannot get rich honor
ably. l i",irve that ii labor will
40 It's own duty all the misery and
all the suffering that labor has en-
dured from the beginning of the
world will end.
hcliev" it to be the duty of
every man and every woman who
work for u living, who works for
wages, or Il salary. to join trade
unloh. And believe the man or
woman works for wages who re-
mains out OF a trade union to be
blind to thci. own interest. Not
only that, but they are positively
lnJullng the chances and the in
terests o their fellow men, and
their fellow women. / believe til. f.
lhe trade unions stand for all that
is good, for all that is best in our
citizenship II L thought the
trade union movement depended
ON IaWleSSncSS for its SUCCESS. if T
believed strikes depended on law
leSsness for their success, | would
abandon tn" trade union move
ment. l do not believe that a
strike Was ever won because of
violation of law, do know that
strikes have been lost because the
laws were brokeI. | do know
that every strike is injured if the
law is broken.
In my he,nelit no great strike
can ever succeed il the A merican
people are opposed TO it. I have
an abiding faith in the people Of
our country. | believe the Amer.
lean people always try to be right.
believe that if they decide, if
they conclude that question is
right, that a strike is right, that
the strike will win: and if they
conclude the strike is wrong. then
the strike Will not succeed. IT.
pays TO consult the wishes of the
best people. 1t pays to be right,
ana II does not pay to hc wrong.