The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-06-26
ANOTHER DIsSEMBLER.

ANOTHER DIssEMBLER.
Chancellor Day Of Syracuse Univer-
sity has new chum in the person Of
Professor Woodrow Wilson, of Prince
ton.
The published statements attributed
to Professor Wilson, remind us Of
certain false statements made in Du-
luthN over a year ago, by one Drew, in
an illogical harangue delivered at the
Commercial club rooms.
He declares that the unions, by
"standardizing labor" and teaching
workingmen to try to get as much
wages as possible for as little work as
possible, threaten to fill the country
with "unprofitable servants" and so
to destroy the economic supremacy
of the United States among the ma
tons.
That phrase "unprofitable servants
President Wilson found in the New
Testament 1t occurs in one of the
parallels in the Gospel of Luke. The
text runs: 1--WE are Improbable ser
wants; we have done that which it
was our duty to do"
President Wilson accuses the labor
unions of making their members I'M
profitable servants to the employing
class by teaching them to do just as
much work as they are paid for doing
and no more-to do that which it
is their duty to do and stopping there.
OF course, Prefessora Wilson thought
it necessary to misstate the facts
somewhat. Such gentlemen always do.
He alleged that the unions do not per-
NIT any workman to do more than the
average workman can do. That, as
every union man knows and as every
employer of union men knows is false.
He alleged that in some trades no one
is permitted by the unions to do more
work than the least skillful of his fell
lows can do within the hours allotted
to days labor. That is just little
more absurdly false than the other
statement. But falsifications such as
these do not cost much effort to a
gentleman Of President Wilson's well
known diplomatic ability,
President Wilson's criticism of the
union workmen is that they do Just
their duty and no more, in their rela-
ton with the employers. They drive
bargain, as good a bargain as cir
cumstances permit them to make. de-
manding as much pay in proportion
to the amount of work they deliver
as market conditions may make prac-
ticable.
That is quite true. That is the
policy which every union follows. That
is the immediate purpose Of their
existence.
And for this Professor Wilson reads
them moral lecture and accuses
them of bringing disaster on the coun-
try.
According to Professor Wilson. it is
l. the workingman's duty to do more
than his duty. He ought to concern
himself only to do as much work
as possible, and leave 1t to the en-
ployer to decide what wages are to he
paid for that work. e
We should like to have Professor
wilson tell us why he has selected
just the wage workers to be the re-
cipfents Of this pious advice.
b. He does not tell the manufacturers
& that they ought to give the dealers
more goods than they are paid for
S$s He does not tell the merchants that
Il they ought to hand over more goods
EESs Sto the customers than the consumers
h are. willing and able to pay for. He
does not adjure the farmers to delive,
as much wheat as possible to the
& 1nHlers, the millers to deliver as, muct
NJ Hour as possible to the bakers. and
Inc me bakers to deliver as much bread
s Ss aa possible to the people, all regard
less OF the compensation they are tc
receive. II
N .5le 4 recognizes the right Of every
4 seller Of commodities to get as high q
S. Price Tor his goods as market condt-
items Will permit. ...l 49,, ,.@<E@
He knows that he would 4a lauvh.d
Sssof the platform If he talked to the
III III pr'opertied classes, who have goods to
[ sen, ~ the same strain that he talk.
Sssto the men who have nothing to sell
but their labor power. i. ..'.. ri
The 2 cturers, the merchants