The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-02-27
LABOR UNIONS ARE
FRIENDS Of CAPITAL
Destroy Organized Labor and the
Days of the Commune Will
Be Revived.
Conservative Labor Unions Stand
Between the Aggressions Of
Wealth and Anarchy.

Warren E. Stone, president Of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers,
was one of the speakers at the recent
banquet of the Economic club in New
York. The topic discussed was LA
bor Organiza tions in Reis:ion to Eff
hcient Democracy" Mr.. Stone said in
part:
No Necessary Strife.
There is no neces sary strife Le-
tween capital and labor: neither is
there any fundamental strife between
the capitalist and the laborer. Capt.
tai is simply labor savel and mater
ialized.
II recognize the fact that capital
has rights as we'll as labor; also that
at times both capital and labor are
wrong and that at times labor leaders
have made mistakes. Yet back % all
their mistakes and failures the UNDER
lying principle has been gooG, and
from these same mistakes and failures
we have learned to BULL wiser and
better.
Great Fundamental Principle.
1T has always seemed to me that
the great fundamental principle in
fixing the wage scale is often over
looked. If capital could be brought to
realize that certain portion Of the
wages paid to labor stan Is for the
exhaustion Of the principai-for the
wear and tear of the machinery of the
man-th7n think capital would nave
a better understanding of the true
ground upon which rests the claim Of
labor for more compensation thar
merely enough to exist upon.
mo thinking man will deny that
every business must make Go:.1 it's
depreciation, its wear and tear, before
it has any profit. Precisely SO 1t Is
with labor. The entire capital Of the
workingman is the bone and sinew of
the man, the muscle, energy and brain
power, which day by day are being
worn out and consumed until event =
ually he is used up ana does to the
scrap pile Ct commercial industry as
SO much worn out junk
Effect Of Fair Play.
"'But,' some cry, the laboring man
wants all our money Nothing is fur
ther from the truth. Give the work.
1ngmen fair wages, fair living condi-
tlons, and they will duplicate the
wealth Of the world in twenty years.
Behind the present aggregation Ct
capital on the one hand and Of labor
on the othe: the thinking man may
already see the vague shadow Of a
reorganization Of society. In the COM
ing years the conditions of labor will
have changed, the workingman will
have broken with the past and will
take a prominent part in the solution
OF man yof these great problems that
confront us rs a nation.
! Percentage of Voters.
How important this part will be
you can readily understand when ]
tell you that II per cent OF the votes
cast in the United Staces TODAY are
cast by men who labor for their daily
bread. The day mas gone by wher
laboring men tan be voted like dumb
cattle.
Many have the idea that organized
labor is opposed to the Injunction law
This is not correct. 1t is the abuse
Of the injunction law that we are op-
posed to. If properly used the in
junction law is useful and pernaps
necessary.
"Gentlemen, all that sstanis be-
tween you and your wealth and thu
wave Of anarchy that would swee1
over you is the conservative labor
unions. Destroy them and the day.
lof commune will be lived over again.