The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-11-06
THE POWER OF UNITY
What Trades Unions Have Done
to upIift Humanity.
TRIUMPHANT OVER GREED.

asnefieent Child Labor and Compulsory
Education Laws Enacted At ashsst of
Organized Wors<ees-Unitsd Action
the Toiier's Only Hope.
The 100000 headquarters building
Of the United Brotherhood Of Carpen-
tiers and Joiners Of America recently
dedicated at Indianapolis II the nrst
owned by either a national or interna-
tionai union in America Frank Nor
rison. secretary of the American Fed
Grafton Of Labor. delivered the dedi-
catory address. part Of which was a.
follows:
We are here today It 22d Of
July. 19O9-to dedicate to the cause Of
organized labor this beautiful build
ing. erected in response to the will Of
Of the second largest branch of the
American Federation Of Labor-the
United Brotherhood Of Carpenters and
Joiners Of America.
building in which its officers win
conduct their Official business. a shrine
which shall stand as a monument to
the power and glory OF the brother
hood. a temple that was erected in its
entirety by members Of organized la
Dor. each Of whom worked but eight
hours per day. thus complying with
that shibboleth OF the trades union
adopted as a warcry in their struggle
for a shorter worldly:
Eight hours for work.
Eight hours for sleep.
Eight hours for what We will
It might not be amiss to point with
pride to a few OF the achievements Of
this organized Labor which is praised
on the one hand by those who know
| what it Is doing to arouse the minds Of
| the Wageworker to a realization of
what can be accomplished by united
| action and on the other hand is de-
| nounced and derided by those who
| fear that each new success Of tho
trades union may mean their undoing
| and for that reason. and that reason
alone. are with relentless hatred en-
discourage their members.
Let me now call your attention to
some Of the more tangible things that
organized labor has done. is doing and
will continue to do as long as the ne
cessity for organization exists.
Organized labor has placed a child
labor law on nearly every statute book
of every state of this Union. One state
and two territories have not a child
labor law Of some character-Hawau.
Nevada and New Mexico-the three
states in which there are the least
number Of organized workers.
! Organized labor has compelled the
enactment Of compulsory education
hands Of the pupils: but, my friends,
Notwithstanding that fact there are to-
day thousands Of our little children OF
tender years wearing their lives away
in mines. mills and factories. In the
states where labor unions are weak
there you find that the greed and ava
rice Of owners Of mines, mills and fac
tories know no bounds. There the only
hope for the salvation and protection
| Of their youth is that organized labor
may soon be in a position to so to their
rescue
In this city a few years ago a man
with hatred In his heart formed an Or
ganization with the avowed purpose OF
destroying the wageworker's defense
against the heartless and pitiless en-
ployer-his union. This man sprang
upon the horizon. heralded with glad
acclaim by the representatives Of ev-
cry union hating corporation. His
false and malicious denunciations of
organized labor were published broad.
cast in the press Of the country.
Branches Of the organization were
formed in every city where man
could be found who had the slightest
antipathy toward organized labor with
the expectation that they would be
able to destroy its strength and power
and prevent its members from secur-
ing improved conditions. Attempt aft
er attempt was made to make good
their proud boast. but the efforts Of
these destroyers fell by the wayside.
The force Of their attacks was not sui
ficient to turn. let alone stem. the tide
and growth Of unionism among the
workers. After several years Of impo.
tent effort on the part Of this organi'
cation to destroy the unions We find
that the unions still live. and THU
union hater. this organizer Of discord
this lost soul. who ragged over this
land screaming out his hate. is forgot
ten Why? he is forgotten because
every organized body whose sole rea'
son for existence is for the purpose Of
destroying those organizations whose
efforts are for the uplift q humanity
and which have brought ha hess and
contentment to countless Thousands
will not. must not and cannot long
survive In this Christian land Of ours.