The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-08-31


saulted or murdered by members OF
this band.
Then remember the homes blown
I'D or burned. The families bounded,
the rioting, burning of street cars,
wrecking of trains and attempted or
successful killing of passengers.
The general disturbance of indus
try and the thousands of dollars
forced from taxpayers to pay extra
police, sheriffs and militia to protect
even in a feeble way, the citizens
from the mobs of members of the
American Federation of Labor.
Then you will realize why the great
peace-loving majority of over so mill
ion Americans protest against the
growth of this crime-tainted organiza-
ton comprising perhaps one and one
half million men, of which it is esti-
mated at least seven-tenths are peace
loving citizens and are members by
coercion and are not in sympathy
with the three-tenths who have gained
control and force their methods.
We find that a few designing men
have seized control of the American
Federation of Labor, just as some
lshrewd capitalists have secured con-
troll of some railroads and other in
Iterests and are now twisting and turn
ing them into machines for persona
profit and fame.
These men cunningly plan to force
workmen to join and pay 25 to Il
cents a month in fees.
Various methods are used to Tin
duce" workmen to join.
First. they talk of the tyranny o
capital" making slaves of workmen
Then they work up enthusiasm
about the brotherhood of man" an
other talk which experience ha
shown excites the emotions of work
men and they are induced to Join
and pay fees to the leaders.
:. The 5000 workmen in Battle Cree
O are. as a rule, free from the dictate
;. of the great labor trust and still &c
c the highest wages in Michigan.
>, they had yielded to the smooth tai
n of the agents Of the trust and joined
n they would pay in fees from S1,250.0
+ to 100000 a month to the big trus
o and be subject to strike orders an
d time.
q Now they save that and put tn
money into homes and family con
n forts.
II But the managers of the America
Federation of Labor have worke
l. hard and long to harness them.
q The trust has. sent small bales {
q money and last winter IS organizers
q to tie up Battle Creek. They hire
halls, gave picture shows, smoker
l. etc, as an investment, looking to ric
returns when they succeeded in ha
C ing them tied hand and foot.
But they failed and the last of thes
l, organizers" left Battle Creek @
May 1st saying cts no use"
6, The workmen knew the record {
i this great trust and formed their ow
q association to protect their rights an
also to protect them from the bt
a. Labor Trust.
n In Philadelphia some 1000 indepe
!. dent street car men, who mainly ha
families, had their own union and +
" fused to join the big trust, preferrir
e pleased.
But the trust planned to force the
e into the fee-paying ranks, so stril
was ordered to compel the tractic
n. company to kick out these men al
ID hire only Labor Trust members.
g, 1t was not question of wages
d. hours but to push the free men out
their positions where they were ear
h. ing good money to support their fan
r lies. ne Strihe WAS OTuereu, not
n raise wages or reduce hourse, remel
ID Der, but solely to throw out membe
he of an Independent union and MAJ
lie places only for Labor Trust member
and thus show the Independent mi
IN they could not earn a living unle
IS they first paid fees to the trust ma
ne ayers.
of Incidently the people of Philad
phia must submit to no car servit
IS rioting and bloodshed with millions
of losses while these fee-hunting, motto
i'll ety-seeking trust leaders were teat
ing the world that industry cannot
carried on except by workmen W
-, fret hand tha knap how tho head a