Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-04

DldCe
has gone to his head. and made him
imagine that he is much greater q
man than he really is. is undoubtedly
the case, and accounts for the tactics
ne has adopted in dealing with ques-
tons before congress, where he has
unnecessarily antagonized men to
whom organized labor must look 70,
recognition of their demands, and
where labor measures are often op-
posed on account of this very antag-
onism. which would otherwise receive
support.
There is no doubt but what organ
lied labor in this country would be
much stronger with a leader who was
more in touch with conditions as they
actually exist, and who would bring to
the front the new policies which or
ganized labor must adopt if it expects
to even maintain its present standing
20 say nothing of making future prog
gress."
We quote portions of another article
reprint, from the same labor paper:
Organized labor, thru its leaders
must recognize the mistakes Of the past
If they expect to perpetuate their or
CARNATIONS or to develop the move
nent which they head. No movement
no organization, no nation can deyelop
beyond the intelleets which guide these
organizations. and if the leaders are
dominated by a selfish motive the or
ganization will become tinged with a
spirit of selfishness, Which has never
appealed to mankind in any walk of
life at any time since history began.
1T can be said in extenuation of GER
tain leaders of organized labor that the
precarious position which they occupy
as leaders has had a tendency to cause
them to lose sight of the object behind
the organization. The natural instinct
in man for power and position is in no
small measure responsible for the mis-
takes of the leaders, not necessarily in
labor unions alJae, but in every branch
| of society. This desire for power and
leadership and personal aggrandize-
ment causes men who have been earn
est and sincere in their efforts in the
start to deteriorate into mere poll
ticians whose every act and utterance
is tineed with the desire to cater to
the baser passions Of the working ma
|
and this is undoubtedly true when ap-
piled to the present leaders of the Fed
| Grafton. We mention the Federation
of Labor particularly in this article be-
cause that organization is the only or
ganization Of labor which has yet found
itself in direct opposition to the laws
of the land. There are other organiza-
tons of labor whose leaders have made
mistakes, but they have always kept
themselves and their organizations
within the bounds of the law and re-
spected the rights of every other man
demonstrating the rights of themselves
and their constituency; whereas, the
motto Of the Federation is just the re-
verse, and unless the leaders conform
themselves and their organization in
accordance with the laws of the land
the leaders and the organization itself
must be disfntegrated and pass into
| history, for in America the common
sense in mankind is developed to a
greater extent than in any other ma
| ton on the earth, and the people, who
are the court Of last resort in this
country, will never allow any system
to develop in this country which does
not meet with the approval Of the M
jority Of the citizens ,orthe country.
| This must have forced itself upon
the leaders OF the Federation by this
time. II It has not, the leaders must be
eliminated. The organization which
they head has done many meritorious
things in times past and the people are
always ready and willing to acknowl-
edge the benefits which their efforts
have brought to their constituency as
whole. but at the present time labor
organizations in general, and the Fed
GRAFTON OF Labor in particular. stand
before the bar Of public opinion, hav-
ing bssn convicted Of ssifishnsss and Z
disposition 70 rule all the psopis Of the
country In the interest Of the feW. The
lpeople are patient and awaiting 70 zee
II the object lesson which they have
lbeen forced to give 70 these leaders Il