The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-16
JUSTICE OF THE CAUSE
OF UNION LABOR
MISS FRIEDA DRESSED,

VT ONION GA0On
The following article Is predicted
upon the fact That labor is the ere
ator Of all wealth" Without labor
there never could have been one dol
lar Of wealth in the world. All the
vast and practically unlimited re-
sources OF the entire world would have
lain undeYeloped and the whole sur
face of the earth would have been one
vast waste save for the few forests
God in his wisdom. planted 1t is
labor who has gone into the desert
and caused il 10 Blossom Us the
rose" 1t is labor who mas gone down
into the bowels of the earth and res
cued the treasures she had so deeply
buried. II is labor who subsequently
moulded and fashioned those same
treasures" into articles of utility. It
IS labor who mas builded palaces,
temples. schools and SanctuaTies. 1t
is labor who laid the bands of steel
which bring the east and west within
almost speaking distance of each 9TH
er. and made IL possible that our
thoughts might be conveyed TO the ut
termost parts OF the earth in the space
of only a few minutes. 1t is labor
who has wrought. that this world
might be more like that Eden from
which man wa sdriyen in the begin.
ming
The question naturally arises;
What could labor do without capl
tal?" we answer; Everything. La.
Dor is first in all development. A
beautiful example is contained in the
history OF our own state-how the
early settlers came to an undevelOped
territory, without money or anything
else to speak of. and began the build
ING of this great intcrmountaln en-
pirc; and not until the foundations
were laid aud the structure well un-
6er way, did capital deign To come
forward ard accelerate the building.
The miner with his pack. trayerses
the mountain wastes in search of the
precious metal, unaided and alone, Suf-
fering untold priyationS. until he finds
the object Of his search. when CAPT
tai comes to his assistance, or takes
1t away from him So we say, labor
is first is pre-eninenIly above capi-
tai, and Is so considered except by
few arrogant fops. who. while labor
was buSily engaged In the develop
ment of the world and the creation Of
wealth. was busily engaged in devcl
oping ways and means for his exploit
tatloa
And so labor went stWdily on. using
his Drawn and brain for the benefit
OF mankind. all unconscious OF the
system of exploitation until the cX-
ploiters began his oppression. And.
when all too late, labor awoke to find
the iron heel of the oppressor about
his neck, and then began the unequal
struggle to make right the wrongs
tnat had been done. We are willing
TO admit that everyone does not pos
sess the ability to direct in the de-
yelopment process, and We are willing
that he who does possess such ability,
should receive a just Tecompeusc:
but, when labor creates ten dollars in
wealth. and only receives S2.G5 of Il.
we find that the director" has re-
celved too great a portion: hence the
creation OF that which Is called cap
ital. which Is nothing more than the
accumulation OF unpaid wages"
The bistocy of the so-called labor
movement dates back several hun
dred years II was then that the idea
Of association FOR the protection OF the
worker, and TO resist the encroach-
ments or capital began TO be mani
fest: and this idea has come down
10 us through many vicisitudes and
discouraGements, taking on different
forms az different times. and each fail
ure has only added fuel to the fire.
until the present day Association"
or labor union" has become an IN
dustrial force not lightly to be reckon
ed with
The only excuse for the existence of
the labor union is, self-preservation.
And so bitter was the feeling against
~ that in its very inseDtion it was
and thrown into prison.
But as time went on, and 1t became
better organized and more powerful.
and public opinion became more fav-
orable to it; It began to make more
progress against the master" class.
who had dominated 1t with a heel of
iron. and would not concede the right
OF the workers 20 organize The real
beginning of modern unionism is set
down to the years between 1927 and
1897. and has steadily increased. until
the present time it numbers about s.
100000 members affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor. be-
sides several hundreds of thousands
who are not affiliated
There appears 10 many. however. n
seeming Injustice in the insistencc up.
on the CLOSED shop" proposition. This
is not done that anyone should be de
priyed of the means OF a livelihood:
but that all should bear his Just por-
ton of the burden and responsibility
OF securing these improved conditions
and Fastening the dawn OF the indus
trial millennium
In conclusion. be it said that organ.
lied labor Is doing and will continue
10 do all within It's power TO elevate
the moral, intellectual and economic
tone of our social fabric. and will. by
a system of patient waiting and edu-
cation, compel the friendship OF those
who do not vet understand. but, with
all the adherence and righteous in
dignation 1t Is Given 10 man to feel
VIII spurn the creature who. for a few
paltry dollars, would sell his manhood
his very soul-to the despoilors Of
life and virtue.
w. M. PIGGOTT. President Utah
State Federation OF Labor.
WHAT'S THE uSE7