The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-06-27

century. Once there was fight for
religious freedom, the war continuing
over a great period Then, later, even
in our own country, there was an eight
year fight for political freedom which
ended in success. Freed from their
bonds men began to think and today
we see great changes, the. old saw has
been replaced by, the circular. saw the
needle replaced by the sewing machine.
and wit hthese great changes came q
new struggle as affecting labor. q.
With the new inventions, the owner
ship of tools changed from the labor
er to the capitalist. Labor Is depend
ent on capital entirely, 1T being only
a new form of serfdom. Organization
was then proposed and from sheer
necessity, such steps were taken.
Capital found it necessary to organ
1Ze and ever since great wealth has
been piled up. The increase in wages
has not kept pace with the increase
in the cost Of living, and so it is about
time that labor organize. There Is a.
-ohance for corporation. batwee.s-4abor-
and capital. "a chance to get together,
There is a chance fer laburin nnensto
live in comfort and up to the A1neri-
can standard. The manager of large
place Is always striving hard to make
a good showing that his salary be In
creased and why is It notSsfight that
those lower should do the same? The
wealthy men of the country are al
ways working for more, and why is
it not right that the laboring men
work for more? ., Il
Farmers have found it necessary to
organize for self protection, the
American Society of Equity being
founded. In these days it isFthe selle,
who fixes the price of everything ex-
cept labor. In the old days Of the, law
of supply and demand, there was no
necessity for such organizations. How
ever, with the PRONUNCIATION Of trusts,
when the old law was relegated for all
time, this condition changed. The
theory Of labor unions is that they can
do the same, organize and work
| along the same lines. -"
Below the Standard.
In the iron range district Of north
eastern Minnesota men Of the lower
classes of southern Europe are
brought to work in the mines. They
are working in competition with tn.
American laborer. Their mode: of
living Is such that their expenses are
very low, the speaker giving a des-
cription of one of the shacks in which
| thirty men slept, ate and had their
being. It is absolutely necessary for
the perpetuity of the American hons
that labor organize and now is the
time. Already much good has been
accomplished in keeping the Chinese
! out. @zEEs%
The unions have been faulty at
times, doing things which were not
right perhaps, btu msistakes are al
ways made in this world. The amount
Of good the unions, have done. how
ever, far overbalances the harm. Thei,
work on the child labor question has
| been great one. --.
| Labor Is not against capital: Both
are necessary in this age. There can
however. be no settlement until CAPT
tai recognizes labor's right to organ
ize The injunction laws as at pres
ent are working big injustice to Ia
Dor untons and the step taken BY the
Republican convention in Chicago ie
in the right direction. The work OF
| the National Association of Manufac,
turers is working against labor unions
at all times, doing everything possible
1 to cast slurs on the movement and
| disrupt organizations. l
The supreme court has handed down
a decision which Mr.. McEwen believed
he had a right to criticize, that re
lating to the Sherman trust law
This law when drawn up was not In
tended by the makers to. refer to labor
but to trusts Of capital. When 1.-THE
unions signed with the hat manufac.
turers some time since, there were
eight firms who failed to come In: a
! boycott was declared and as a result
one firm commenced suit against Ttf1e
union, securing a verdict for $240,001
which was upheld by the supreme
court. The conclusion Of the. court il
in effect, that "a labor union Is q trust
The only step that can now be taken
is 70 go before congress and ask fol
relief. a sss5 rs ..Js.s i3: 8
The speaker referred to local cohndi-
Continued a On 50, u T7s7 73-