The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-12
4 TRUE UNIONIST,
Story Of an Old Woman and Her
Strike Breaker Son.
REFUSED BLOOD MONEY

Mother Remembered What the Union
Did For Her. but Joe Forset-An In.
eidsnt That liiumines . Little Known
Side Of the Labor Movement.
The fight had been on for a week.
Practically all the workmen had walk
ed out when the strike was called. but
the company had had plenty OF warn
ing and was making u desperate effort
to keep the plant running. A hundred
men had been smuggied In the night
the trouble started. and one Of the half
jobs had been made foreman ut q sal
airy three times what he had ever
earned before.
The second day Of the strike some of
the strike breakers had been assaulted
when they left the plant after the quit
ting whistle. After that the whole
force stayed Inside the fence all the
time, sleeping on cots In the ONCE and
eating food furnished by the company
raw stock. At the end of a week it
was apparent to both sides that SO long
as Joe Benson. b young fellow who
had been made foreman. aud the four
or 6ve other experienced workmen
stuck by their jobs the company would
be able to make a good blum at keep
ing the plant running. II they quit 1t
would probably have to be shut down.
After dark on the evening Of the
seventh day Joe Benson slipped out of
the gate. turned the first corner aud
hurried down a dark side street. Two
blocks away he was stopped by three
men. Almost instantly and as IL by
magic q crowd of a hundred men gath
cred. The president Of the union. in
the center. appealed to Benson to stick
by the strikers and throw up his Job.
He refused defiantly. Threats were
exchanged. Things began to look ugly.
Suddenly the crowd parted to let an
old woman with a shawl over her
head push her way to the center.
Joe" she said. Benson's eyes lit
up. Mother" he began. stepping to-
ward her. But the old woman's face
was stern and frowning. The young
nan stopped and looked at her. aston
ished. She held out a roll Of bills.
Here's he $50 you sent me-. Joe." she
said. II don't want it. It's blood
money" Benson stood still. staring
hard at her. No one else broke the
silence. take it." she said. Then. as
he stood motionless. she threw the
money at his feet. 'Joe," she went on.
''be a man. Stick by the rest Of US.
Remember your father. II you don't
come home with me now. Joe. and
stay at home you're a3cab. and l nev-
er want you to come inside my house
again."
That bit Of personal observation was
followed the same evening by an op-
portunity to talk with the Spartan
mother al she sat by the stove in her
own little kitchen. her big son beside
her. She was asked why she had
turned sc strangely against her son
when natural maternal instinct would
have led her to rejoice in his promotion.
Ten years my man Benson was a
member Of the union. paying his
monthly dues and all the time getting
a little bigger wages and a little short
er hours" she answered. The union
did that for us first Of all. Then Ben
son took the fever. Ten weeks he was
laid up, and every week the union paid
us the sick benefit. When he got worse
the women of the auxiliary took turns
sitting up with him so that I could
get a bit Of sleep. When he got well
the union got him a job. Ten years
more went by, and Benson and l to
gether went through a couple of hard
strikes. And wages kept creeping up
little by little. l saw that the men
who didn't stick by the union got no
good out Of their treachery in the long
run.
whats q little extra money for q
few weeks when your neighbors look
at you cross eyed and you know in
your heart your mans no better than
a common thief? And when the trou.
ble's over ten to one he's let out fol
good and goes rafting round the coun'
try in dark corners for the rest OF his
life. That's the way 1t works, Joe.
''Well. then. Benson got his hurt. II
was q busted steam pipe that did It
When my man got nj of the hospita
IC W08 UtJuV. Gl&uk AAVONuS Su0 OuAOA
paid Us the disability benefit every
week. Then he died. The union buried
him. They paid me the $500 deatf
benefit that helped to keep Joe II
school. And the monument over hi,
fathers grave in the cemetery the un
ion paid for. Joe didn't remembel
about 1t, that's ALL"
1t will doubtless surprise many PEG
pie who think of labor unions NJ or
CARNATIONS existing solely for the pur
pose OF forcing higher wages from re
luctant employers to learn that a larg'
part Of the energy and funds Of Ell
most every body Of organized working
men Is devoted to various forms o
friendly aid and mutual protection. II
the aggregate they have paid out hun
| dreds Of millions OF dollars as death
sick and out Of work benefits.
They take car Of their fellow crafts
men who have been injured at work
they maintain employment bureau
which serve a most useful purpose q.
clearing houses between employers ant
men: some of them have establishes
sanitariums where members who ar
i'll may be treated at the general ex
pense: they provide pensions for thos'
who have been permanently disable
by accident. and In q few case the,