Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-08-27
WHAT IS UNIONISM.

means peace and good will to all men
and / believe that the founders of the
union never dreamed that it would be
prostituted and made to represent rad
ical ultra aggressiveness. | believe
it twas designed and intended as de-
fensive organization and to protect the
helpless against the strong. Another
strong doctrine of unionism was to
create healthy public opinion on the
subject of labor and to build up a
friendly feeling between employer and
employee. The meaning of unionism
is helpfulness to all men, and as such,
no man with union principles will seek
to sow strife and confusion or vent his
spleen OH men who differ with him on
what is for the best interest Of the
working world. This extreme high
handed assault Of men claiming to be
union has worked injury to the cause
of unionism and caused the the public
to suspicion the union as shield to
anarchy and murderers The union
has to bear this odium for conduct I'M
becoming union men.
Some seem to never inquire what
it takes to be a genuine union man,
but take it for granted that the man
who can use the most abuse and curse
the opposition the loudest is the best
union man. say no, he is its worst
enemy and a traitor to the very prin-
ciples Of unionisrn. A union man is
no violator of the law and will not
council others to do so; neither will
he rush into print and defame and be-
mean the character of other people.
The union would be better off without
this class and so would the country, >,
but as they are among the workers,
believe the union should control them
or hand them over to the law. Our
country and people will get tired of the
bulldozing feature after awhile and will
not tolerate it always. The union can
hold these vicious spirits in check and
compel them to obey the principles of
unionism. Now, I don't care what
these little prejudiced fellows have to
say about ''Uncle Tom and his I'M
| ionisln, for | know that the obligation
of unionism does not in any way in
terfere with my duty to God or to my
country and when | set out to injure
the character of any man and to de-
| CIR 7 70 ha
in practice and in principle, and
certainly cannot violate the law and
be genuine union man or a good
citizen when I do. | become traitor
to the principles of unionism.~. If I'M
ion does not mean peace and good will
toward all men then my rebukes and
criticisms have been out of place and
| have misunderstood unionism and
take it to be something it is not
Who will deny that there is not a
bulldozing element belonging to the
union and who will dare say that they
are carrying out the doctrine Of union
ism? We can't charge all of this pro
! stitution and pervcrsion to the ignor-
ant class, for they are not the really
guilty at all. It's the agitator who
has stretched his imagination to dIaw
as dark picture as possible of the
poor mans life and then array the
grandeur and splendor of his employer
before his eyes as the cause of why he
is so poor. This is all wrong and very
wicked and produces bloodshed sooner
or later. Such leaders are unworthy
the name and ought to be suppressed
They are the prostitutors and the cause
of the dreadful tragedies enacted.
Teacl men the pure doctrine of un
ionism such as unity of action in {
lawful way, and to use all honorable
means to maintain peace between EN-
ployers and employees, and use concil
iation where differences arise. The OBJ
J ject was to organize and educate; now
it seems to be to organize and go tt
war, thing not intended or desired
and it seems that but little thought il
given to the education of the world
workers, and all that is prevalent now
is to lick somebody or crack 'tother
Teller on the head.
Yes, gentlemen, I've critized yoI
roughly because of the prostitution
and perversion of the union, and l dc
, not endorse any knockdown and drag
out policy, but do endorse Article Is
of the Constitution, and also the pre-
amble, and while you may rave ant
! rant and pull your hair and vent you
spleen against your "Uncle Ton" he
never bow the knee and endorse thi
hellish prejudice favored and fostere,
by men claiming to be union who liv
4 in violation of the preamble every da,
of their lives, and their obligation also
: wear no mans collar and | believ
/. that this peTversion of unionism ha
: cooked the union goose, and to regal
: lost ground reformation will be al
absolute necessity, and that bull dozin
and aggressiveneSs will have TO be lief
out all together, and the spirit of con
ciliation between working men foster
cd and cultivated. When this is don
then there will be hopes Of winnin
the employer TO tine unions way O
thinking, but to force or coerce me
and employers is not fruitful of goo
results. Much more can be said.
UNCLE TOM.
Tracy City. Tenn.