Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-08-31
EiOO(l1vi1lking
ClergyIrleIl

somewhere in our country fro none t,
a score of our fellow men are assault
ed or murdered by members of thd
band
Then remember the homes blown u
or burned The families bounded, til
rioting, burning of street cars, wreck
ing of trains and attempted or sue
cessful killing of passengers.
The general disturbance of industr,
and the thousands of dollars forcet
from tax payers to pay extra police
sheriffs and militia to protect, even i,
feeble way, the citizens from tn,
mobs of members of the American
Federation of Labor.
TEen you will realize why the great
| peace-loying majority of over 80 mil,
lion Americans protest against tht
growth of this crime-tainted organiza-
ton comprising perhaps one and one
half million men, of which it is esti-
mated at least seyen-tenths are peace
loving citizens and are members b.
coercion and are not in sympathy with
the three-tenths WHO have gained con.
troll and force their methods.
We find that few designing mer
have seized control of the American
Federation of Labor, just as some
shreWd capitalists have secured con.
troll of some railroads and other inter
ests and are now twisting and turnine
them into machines for personal profit
and fame.
These men cunningIy plan to force
workmen to join and pay 20 to Is cents
month in fees.
Various methods are used to Gin
duce" workingmen to join.
First, they talk of the tyranny OF
capital making slaves of workingmen
Then they work up enthusiasm about
the brotherhood of man" and other
talk which experience has shown ex-
cites the emotions of workmen and
they are induced to Join" and pay fees
to the leaders.
The 5000 WOrkmen in Battle Creek
are, as a rule, free from the dictates o.
the great Labor Trust and still get the
highest wages in Michigan. If they had
yielded to the smooth talk of the
agents of the trust and joined, they
would pa yin fees from $1,250.00 to 49,.
10000 a month to tie big trust and be
subject to strike orders any time.
Now they save that and put the
money into houses and family com
forts.
But the managers of the American
Federation of Labor have worked hard
and long to harness them.
The trust has sent small bales OF
money and last winter IS organizers
to tie up Battle Creek. They hired
halls, gave picture shows, smokers,
etc, as an investment, looking to rich
returns when they succeeded in having
But they failed and the last of these
Organizers" left Battle Creek Oh
May LIST saying its no use"
The workingmen knew the record of
this great trust and formed their own
association to protect their rights ana
also to protect them from the big La
Dor Trust
In Philadelphia some 1000 indepen-
dent street car men. who mainly had
families, had their own union and re
fused to join the big trust, preferring
to be free to work or not as they
pleased
But the trust planned to force them
into the fee-paying ranks, so a strike
was ordered to compel the traction
company to kick out these men and
hire only Labor Trust members,
It was not question of wages or
hours but to push the free men out Of
! their positions whore they were earn
| ing good money to support their fami
lies. The strike was ordered, not tt
raise wages or reduce hours, remem
Der. but solely to throw out member;
of an independent union and MAKE
places only for Labor Trust members
and thus show the independent me'
they could not earn a living unless
they first paid fees to the trust man
ayers.
incidentally the people OF Philadel
phia must submit to no car service
rioting and bloodsked with millions i.
losses while these fee-hunting, notori
ety-Beeking trust leaders were teach
ing the world that industry cannot b,
carried on except by workmen wiz
first bend the knee, bow the head an;
pay fees.
How these men as strike leaders 10y,
to see their names in the papers eacl
morning! It's meat and bread to theii
souls.