The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-03-27
CRITICAL SURVEY o. !.
?. OUR ! ION METHODS n
Union Activities Have Not Kept
Pace With industrial =.
:,.:..~ Progress.
Subject Discussed and Means To-
wards It's Promotion Dis .
ri cussed.
BY r. G. PHILLIPS.

Inere Is inherent in mans nature
a something that seems at times in
def1nable; that causes men to frater-
nize Or to pool the interests of all.
those who have a consciousness Of.
what their interests are, under the
head Of what is known as a union. MY
desire IS to take an unbiased view Of
the question, so as to be able to point.
Its virtues as we'll as it's defects.
Conditions Confronting Us.
We union men are today confronted
by certain conditions that have been
brought into being by the changes
that have taken place in the Industrial
Held. - We did not at the time consid-
er them worthy OF notice, but as we
are brought face to face with them
and compelled to conform to these
changed conditions we must begin to
consider our steps to find, If we can,
where our mistakes lie.
First. Have we taught the spirit of
un1onism as ardently as we should,
have done?
Second. Have we perfected our Or
dustrial system would demand we
should?
Third. Have we been attacked
from a point we did not expect?
Fourth. Have We endorsed the
best form Of unionism?
Consideration Of Questions.
Without discussing these PROPOSE
ton seriatum at this time, let me say:
That we have beyond doubt been neg
lectful in not teaching more strictly
the spirit of unionism that would be
more In conformity with the needs of
modern unionism with which we
could fight the questions that today
rebound to our disadvantage.
We have not sought to rebuild the
parts in our union structure that we
have found broken, nor have we kept
pace with modern industry. We have
allowed industry to advance, with
leaps and bounds, to have entered new
fields, while we stood guard over the
remains of that which modern indus
try had left behind. Yes, we have
been attacked from point which we
had not been expecting it. We con-
s1dered ourselves so strong upon the
economic field that we did not believe
there was any need at all for us enter
ing the political field. It may also be
an open, question as to whether we
have had at the heads of our different
departments the most efficient officers
that we could have placed there.
Have we endorsed the best and most
modern form of unionism? Edo not
believe SO. The union that would ap-
peal to me would be one that could
meet upon the filed Of battle the Man
ufacturers' association. They to fight
their battle with money, we to fight
| ours with numbers and intelligence.
We all know that the Manufacturers
association did little with their money
| to injure us SO long as we were or
ganized into a union that could control
the actions of the man who produced
| the wealth which the manufacturers
| used in order to defeat us.
Our 9ounden Duty.
| We who are workers must organize
ourselves to a man. We must build
so it cannot be torn down. We must
become conscious that there can be no
common cause. between the workers
who do useful work and the workers
whose only work is to reap the benefit
of the useful worker. We must be-
come conscious Of the fact that we
are the ;disinherited owners of the
world. We have built upon our own
shoulders, and are denied the use OF
the world we have built in order to
gain our living.
Let us start to build union that
will be the cause Of the disarmament
| of the ahOrtive institution known &C
| the Manufacturers association. Start
ing from this point we can then ex-
pect some material gain.