The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-10-25
OR0NES OF UN|ON|SM
Reap Benefits to Which They
Contribute Nothing.
THE lNGRATEs OF INDUSTRY.
BY l%ndiree.ien They Profit Through
the Efforts Of Organized Labor.
Three Glasses Of Nonunion Wage
Farmers Defined.

Three Glasses cS Nohuusou "e9s
Earners Defined.
BY the term nonunionist we mean
to refer TO those wage earners who re-
main aloof from the unions either
through ignorance or prejudice or in
difference.
The ignorant nonunionist is usually
one who comes from a rural commu-
nifty where there are no unions and
where sentiment for or against unions
is practically uniformed. Such 4 wage
Garner may become a stout champion
of the union or an avowed enc
my. depending largely upon his treat
ment at the hands OF union men and
depending somew hat upon the amount
of respect shown by union men toward
the union cause. The union member
who talks against the union and SIAN
ders its officers keeps many an honest
worker out OF the movement.
The prejudiced n~onunionist may be
one whose prejudice was created in
the manner just indicated. or he may
be prejudiced by education along mar
row lines or by youthful environments.
Ee knows even less than the ignorant.
because. being entirely ignorant Of the
history. achievements and purposes Of
the union movement, he thinks he
knows it all.
He may be n nonunionist by choice
because Of some personal difference or
to spite some one. His view of the
field Of industry Is wholly distorted.
In his exaggerated opinion Of his own
individual Importance ard of his su-
perior rights ne sometimes becomes a
scab. in which case he not only in
lures his fellows. but himself rs well.
and can find his sole reward in the
title Of Industrial hero" conferred on
him and his kind by hat eminent au-
thority on union and industrial mat
tiers. ex-President Eliot OF Harvard.
But in these days Of schools and
publications the ignorant and preju-
diced nonunionists are no sc numer-
Gus as to be dangerous. 1t were far
better for them and for the movement
II they were good union members: but.
as ignorant and prejudice are dispelled
by thai broad intelligence born of the
association in unions of many men Of
many minds and spread through the
various industries from man to man.
the ignorant and prejudiced r Tar
outnUmbered by the Indifferent.
The Indifferent nonunionist is simply
so much driftwood floating with the
tide. He accepts conditions as he nnds
them and makes no effort to improve
them. He will neither exert himself
to better himself o will be give even
his passive support to the efforts OF
others. The only thing he q do Il
to growl. He growls at the job. the
boss. the union and himself.
Occasionally he is swept into the
union when the rising tide engulfs the
place where he happens to be en-
ployed.
Such benefits as come to him Al q
result of union effort he accepts as q
matter Of course. never giving credit
to any one and especially not to the
union.
And such union benefits do come t.
the nonunionists Of all classes.
1t is readily admitted that II unions
did not exist wage n would b<
working for less han half their pres
ent wages. This includes n~onunionistl
as well as unionists.
The first effect OF a union 10 to tend
to protect existing wages against re
duction. In this insurance nonunion'
lists reap a benefit. though they con
tribute nothing. Labor travels to the
points where the highest wages arr
paid. and when wages are forced uT
at one point competing points Otter
have to advance wages to keep labor
from going to the higher paid point.
In this case the nonunionist does no,
usually reap so large an advantage Al
the unionist. but he gets an indirect
benefit from the union struggle. fol
which he contributes nothing. and
these benefits and others more Or les.