The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-07-15
CAN YOU DISPUTE IT?

CAN YOU DISPUTE IT?
Mr.. Unionist, there is an active prop
uganda against the trades unionists in
this country, and men actively engaged
in it have plenty of money to buy
publicity, and plenty of money to en-
ploy men of subtitle logic to write the
stuff to deceive the public. What are
you doing to combat the subtitle and
deceitful arguments of these people!
Are you supporting the only news
papers that fairly present your side to
the public-the labor pressa
Are you informing yourself so that
you can intelligently answer the sophis-
tries of the "open shop" advocates9
Are you holding up the hands Of the
men who are trying to combat the false
argument of the legal sharks and liter
airy lights employed to mislead the pub
Lief
True the American Federation of
Labor shows growth in union mem
bership despite the efforts of the "open
shoppers but is that increase in keep
ing with the increase in the number of
wage earners!
Take it right here in Lincoln-there
are only three unions working under
closed shop agreements with employers.
These are the printers the BARRIERS and
the theatrical employees. The open
shop prevails in all other trades. The
pressmen have agreements with two or
three shops, but the open shop prevails
in all the daily paper press rooms and
in the largest job shops.
The first argument advanced by the
"open shop" advocates is that the
unions insist upon the employer pay
ing the inferior workman the same
wages he pays to the good workman.
You know it is not so, but can you
intelligently answer the charge when it
is madef
Another argument is that the unions
prevent the employer from discharging
an employee. You know it is lie, but
are you able to bring the argument
and the proofs out and convince the
man who believes what the "oper
shoppers tell hint
Another argument is that the union.
presume to dictate to the employer how
he shall run his business. You know
it is lie, but can you convince the
man who believes it that he is mis-
takenf
Are you able to stand out and intelli
gently answer the sophistries of tn
enemies of the trades union movement
If you are not, and you are not try
ing to fit yourself to do SO, you ar
not true to your union obligations. AM
when you not only fail to fit yoursel
for this task, but also refuse to hol
up the hands Of those who can do i
and are trying their best to do it, 20
again fall short of your duty as
union man. The only newspapers i
which the unions get a fair show ar
the labor papers, and yet the labo
papers are handicapped by the indi1
ference, the jealousy and the persons
spite of individual trades unionists VIII
will not support them because, pc
chance, they do not like the editt
personally or he happens not to coli
eide with every peculiar view they ma
hold. Yet these same unionists are ii
loudest in their complaints that the
do not get a square deal, and that IL
cards are stacked against them.
You know it is the truth.
And, again, there are too many unit
men VINO are satisfied if they can on
draw the scale. What becomes of Il
rest of them is a matter of no conce
to them. Their unionism is confined
drawing the scale. Some of the loude
for the "closed shop" and the lat
of their own craft comes from men W
habitually "scab" on the labels
other crafts. If you don It believe
watch 'em roll cigarettes from Pukt
Mixture or Bull Scraps while they q
shouting their unionism.
It's a funny game all round.
Let the local labor paper say son
thing you don't like and you imme
ately cuss the editor and stop your s,
scription. But you keep right ON S,