The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1910-04-02
RETIREMENT OF
SWEET EXPOSED
LABOR UNION MAN SAYS SWEET
DIDN'T RETIRE TILL he HAr
MADE MONEY EARNED BY UNI
DERPAID EMPLoYEs-LATHRoF
STARVED OUT.

To The Forum: Mr.. Sweets state
ment that he retired from business be-
fore the labor dispute arose and is not
now an employer OF labor, does not
materially contradict any claims
made in my first communication. That
he did retire from the leather business
before he went into the mayor busi-
ness shows very good judgment on his
part, as ne evidently foresaw that
coming events would not help him
much with the labor vote. by their
works We shall know s.lem," and as /
contended, the leather workers were
not paid decent living wages and were
working longer hours than was COM
patible with good health. Mr.. Sweet
says that he should be glad, indeed,
to see "our men" get an advance Of
is to 20 per cent, now that he has re-
tired from the business: but the fact
that the men are walking the streets
or looking for work elsewhere does not
indicate that Mr.. Sweets successors
are anxious that the men should get an
advance of wages or shortening of
the hours of work.
The relations between Mr. Sweet and
his men must have been very pleasant,
when, according to tie statement of
Mr.. Rudd last week, the men were
Obliged to demand higher wages SO
that they might make fair living,
and shorter hours because SO many of
the leather workers were dying, from
consumption. Perhaps some of them
considered 1t pleasant that consump-
tion was most likely to put an end to
the incessant drudgery of sixty hours
a week for the pitifu1 sum of SO or at
the most, $12, in an expensive city
like Fargo. And, mind you, Mr. Sweet
was the employer of these men for
many years, and is now able to retire
and run for mayor-and likely to be
elected, ne says. If the leather work
ers or any other worker, without any
graft in sight, can vote for him in the
face OF these facts, they are oblivious
to their best interests.
Mr.. Sweet says that "Mr. Lathop. the
local president OF the labor federation.
said to me short time ago that he
could not be here to help elect me
mayor" The facts are that MIR.
Lathrop left Fargo because be could
not get decent living wages here, and
accepted a position in city where the
living is cheaper and the wages high
er. His greatest interests were in Far
so, where he was the honoTed leader
of organized labor. But he was starved
out. Were he here now, he would be
walking the streets, out OF a job, as
are the other union leather workers.
Would he help elect MIR. Sweet, retired
leather merchant, mayor? think
not.
Two months ago, says Mr.. Sweet, we
agreed on a programme of increase of
wages and a betterment of conditions.
Today the men are out OF a job. What
do you think OF that3 Still, Mr.. Sweet
says: My interests are those of any
public spirited citizen who wishes
well to the rank and file of the wage
earners In the belief that their eleva-
tion and prosperity in The world OF in
dustry and civic affairs viii tend more |
than anything else to the accomplish |
ment Of the great and end of our demo- |
cracy, viz the equality OF all men and
the greatest good to the greatest num- |
ber"
That sounds good, but Mr.. Sweet is
running for mayor now, and I have
got TO find the man who ever heard
him whisper such sentiments when he |
was employing men.
r. L. Tillotson.