The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-07-24
Under the Auspices
of the
OGDEN TRADES ASSEMBLY
"SCAB" DEFINED.

"SCAe" DEFINED.
The word "scab" is one Of the vilest
opithets that can be hurled at hui
tnan being and the one who rightly
deserves the appelation Is of the same
quality. a "scab.' says Webster, is a
mean, low, paltry follow" This def
uiton Is general in It's application, but
may be specifically applied TO ono
An any walk of life. In looking over
the Industrial field, We can find but
one class of fellows" 10 whom this
definition will apply in all its full
ness: ard they are those who act as
the fence" or the go between with
which the leecherouS employer hopes
TO reduce to penury and abject ser
Witty. the honest workingmen and
women. Those who, by an offer OF
less wages, would take the employ
ment from another Those who cut
prices and underbid 10 such an extent
that Il affects the well being OF the
laborer: and for what? Not that it
is of any benefit to them, for II is only
an Injury, But they are like the pro-
verbal dog. who wouldn't gnaw the
bone. nor let anyone else gnaw IL.
They do not want to advance or Inn
prove themselves, and they are Will
lag 10 be used TO compel others TO re-
main on the same level with them.
They are willing TO he used as the
tools through which honest manhood
and womanhood may be compelled TO
forever pay tribute TO the bloated plu-
tocracy They are the lick-spittles
who would rob infancy of Its nourish-
ment. childhood of its pleasures, youth
of its innocence and old age of its
restful reposc. II there is place hot
ter than the Inferno of hades, we
feel sure that they win be presented
with free tickets TO the boxes closest
up"
The subjoined quotation is an eX-
tract from book written by Dr.
Frank Julian Warne, and is eplen-
did de6nitioG of the union labor term
"scab." and description of its be-
ginning Dr. Warne said:
"Ostraclsm is a stronger social
force IN maintaining u high standard OF
personal conduct than most of us real
lie. 1t means banlshment or eXclus-
ion from social intercourse OF favor
and Is usually employed by partic-
ular group against members OF Its own
class OF craft Its effective weapon
is some TERM pl ltplpdCu NplnSb A'l
the purpose Lawyers, for example,
who do not come up TO the standard
set for that profession by its domin
ant group are ostraclsed and termed
'shysters. So 1t Is with the medical
profession. Physicians engaged in
questionable practices which the dom
inant group denounce are oStracised
by the more reputable practitioners
nj
The same social force is at work
among the industrial classes, de-
clares DR.. Warne Union men" he
says. set a standard as TO wages and
conditions of employment in a partic-
uar industry. and those worklngmen
who fall below that measurement, In
offering their labor for less price.
are ostracisod and denounced as
'scabsh Whether the group be doc
tors or lawyers, or workingmen. what
ever il adopts as the standard of meas
uring conduct along particular lines Is
sooner or later taken up by the broad
er social grouping in the community
and accepted as its standard of Judg
ment along those lines This is just
as true of a community closely iden-
tilted with an industry. the livelihood
upon the industrys activities. in which
a dominant group Casually members
Of a trade union) creates the indus
trial standard. This explains the at
titudc Of hostility an industrial COM
munity exercises toward the 'scab.'
It explains also, perhaps, how men
far removed from the influence of
the working classes can look upon the
'scab' as a hero.
THE social force Of ostracism put
into operation by the working Of the
trade union Is directed, and particu-
larly so In strike times, not alone di-
rectly against the scab himself, but
along all those channels OF social re-
lations Affecting him and which might
have influence upon him In bringing
about action conformable 10 the stand
ard Of the dominant group. The
strength of this weapon in the strike
of the anthracite mine employees In
1902 Is Illustrated from incidents from
strike times which DR. Warne secured
from actual experience"