The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-03-22
DECLARES UNIONS
LEVEL MEN UP
AND NOT DOWN
Act as Restraint Instead of In.
centive to Violence, Says
John Mitchell.

a defense of labor unions and a dis
cussion of Industrial conditions were
given by John Mitchell, former presl
dent of the Mine Workers Union. in
Unity Church, Montclair, last night.
The church was crowded. Mr.. Mitchell
spoke on the general topic of 'Indus-
trial Unrest in part, as follows.
L want to speak to you as an Ameri-
can workman. There is an impression
abroad that there is something Grim
inal in organized labor. 1t is believed
by many that labor organizations are
modern institutions. But there were
labor organizations prior to the birth
of Christ. The guilds grew ana -four
lshed and the Roman soldiers were
sent against them. but the guilds won
out. Jealousy arose among them. which
caused them to rebel against each
other. and the Roman soldiers finally
beat them and 10000 of them were nut
to death.
During the time of Queen Elizabeth.
IN England, it was a crime to ioin a
union. If a man asked more wage
thar the law provided he was branded
as Infamous, and had his ears cut off
ana the wages allowed by law at that
time was two cents a day.
There is a strong spirit of unrest
abroad in this country. To understand
the Industrial unrest WE must under
stand what the laboring nan is think
ing about. / can speak advisedly on
this, because there is no suffering he
has had that | have not suffered with
MIN. Every workingnIan has a mic
lure In his mind of what he wants. He
wants to own a home. He wants to be
able to go home and say to his Wife,:
This home is ours; no one can dis
possess us Many a time | have had
such a longing. He wants carpets on
his floors, he wants music and books
n ne wants to earn enough money In
reasonable hours so that he can live
n provide for the education of his
children and for sickness and old age.
Patriotism FIecs Before poverty.
Patriotism and love of countrv l.
not compatible with poverty. A man
wants something in his country to be
proud Of The w~orkingman is spend
ing today the earnings of tomorrow.
we want TO give II workingman
something to make him proud of
America. The trusts have made It
impossible for the individual work
lngman to gain anything, so thai
unions are necessary. II is claimed
that the unions are unfair because
they demand as much pay for the
sluggard as for the good workman.
This Is a mistake: the unions Level the
workinen up, not down. Were 1t not
for the unions the mar single-handed
would taxi some action against those
he thought were his oppressors, or
against society.
unemployed Worknlen. over 200, 900 Of
them this winter in New York city.
have not taken the law into their own
hands or committed violence. They are
restrained by the unions, that is what
has kept them from il. They have
learned to be good citizens by the teach
ings of the labor unions. They have
learned that their ends cannot be
gained by violence. Tho first blow
struck for the freedom of this country
was by the American trade union work
men. | venture the opinion that II
perchance by legislation or by the
courts the function of the workman
should be curtailed he would do the
things In secret that he is now doing
in the open. We don't want a peas
antry in America. We want to de-
velop a strong, able workman. We
want a brave, s~elf-respecting workman.
respects himself and his employer.
We. want a fair, honorable workman
and a fair. honorable employer to meet
on a fair basis where none can take
Of the other.
$50 long as brave. willing workers
idle and little children go trudging
TO the mills. mines and factories, RED
turning late at night tired and weary,
the American people have a daty to
perform.
II have seen these young children
home at night from the mines
manned ana injured. Had I not seen
this perhaps / might have chosen an
other and easier path instead of de
my life to the cause of uplifting
the laboring man. There is something
obviously wrong when we produce so
much that we starve to death. Our
statesmen are continually seeking for
eign markets for u products when
we have 81, 900, 900 workmen who would
buy these products if they could earn
the non to buy them with. The best
market is right here. We cannot afford
to build UP an army Of unemployed in
this country