The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-03-06
JOHN MITCHELL
!. ON CHILD LABOR
The Child Labor Question is
More Important Than is
a Very Big Navy.
Best Thing For Labor is to
b Have More Workmen in
. Legislative Positions.

What is the future of American la
Dor? What is the ideal condition OF
the American workman? When shall
we. reach this era?
I have been asked to say something
in answer. But to fulfill them in the
ideal way is quite another matte~,
writes John Mitchell in the N. 3.
World.
!. Briefly, let me say, the ideal future
Of American labor concerns the ideal
future of. the average workman. He
4 has before his eyes a certain definite
! social and industrial status. He wants
to reach it.
The American workman wants an
eight hour day. He wants a half holi-
1 day on Saturday. He wants a Sum
day of rest and recreation. He wants
q home. He wants comfortable sur
roundings. He wants an income sutfl-
Gent to clothe his family and feed
them. He wants to educate his chill
dren. And aside from that he wants
ar income which, with reasonable
frugality, will be enough to provide
for maintaining hfn in sickness and
old age.
That is the ideal of every average
workman. When every average worx-
nan-I am not speaking of workmen
whose natural talents will raise them
much higher than this-has reached
this status. then we shall have in
dustrial contentment, and not before.
!. LaborinE men in this country have
always been divided in political opin :.
ion. Nevertheless there is this modi-
fication-the sentiment is crystalliziny
that remedial legislation should be ell
acted either for the protection Of the
: American workman or for his RELIEF
from some of the statutes as inter-
preted by the courts.
1t would not be at all surprising to
find in future elections that the Anneri
can workmen are acting in greater
concert than they have done hereto
fore.
..a For instance. the Sherman Anti
Trust law, which was originally in
tended to prevent combination in re-
straint of trade, to prevent combina-
tions among producers of the neces-
saries Of life, to prevent monopolies
in the products of labor, has now been
interpreted by the courts as against
the labor unions.
This lis indicated by the decision III
the case Of Lowe against the United
Hatters of North America. In this
decision the labor organization has
been declared combination in re-
straint of trade. This decision, If APP
piled to all labor organizations. would
30 hamper them in their perfectly
, proper functions as to destroy thei.
usefulness in a very large measure.
h Then again, when the extension Of
the use of the writ of injunction ~
/. denied in labor disputes, whereby tie
workmen are refused actions which
are Of themselves legal and constitu-
tional, it makes it imperative that
there, be. some legal Limitation upon
|; the courts. in tho exercise Of their
equity powers.
These two demands-relief from the
abuse of: the injunction and exemp-
I ton from the action of the Sherman
Antitrust act-are absolutely essen
tial to the rational development Of g.
trade union movement. And these two
issues are today doing more to cement
the interests Of the workmen Of Amer
lea into one solid body than any other
political question.
sa If the. wage earners divide their
power they will have little to do with
the control Of. political parties. And
what would not their power be if they
Voted as unit?
ITS While the. right to vote is of the
4 greatest possible Importance, the con-
troll of the political machines by work.
men is in a, large degree what is neg
essary. Unfortunately they do rot
I control.
Van We have allowed men to make q
business Of controlling political parties.
They are exercising that very impore-
1 ant political function to our detr.
Ment. 1t seems to me that there are
many important indications that work.
men who desire the best possible gov
4 ernment in the future will take larger
Interest in the control of the parties
! of which they are members. This will
( Brighten the future outlook for labor
al America. They can then take \
hand in the disclosures of political
Splots. And they can determine wheth-
saeg or not they will continue with their
present political Affiliations.
s The best thing for labor in the fu-
tire will be to have. mere workmen
elected to legislative positions.
X seygEfsEt1A "a 1rorlry,ou for Ia.