The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-04-14
THURSDAY, APRIL IA, 1910
ORGANIZE FOR PROTECTION

Let us unite together for the purpose
of lettering our conditions. Let us all
realize the truth of the saying that In
union there is strength Today organ
ization is as necessary the air we
breathe Without it we can never hope
to secure for ourselves and our families
more than n bare existence. What hope
is there that the future will not be hlled
with hardships the like of which we have
never been called upon to endure. If we
are to go struggling along alone, without
the assistance of our fellows, without the
helping hand being extended, without the
word of encouragement to cheer us on
when the hour is darkest, black, indeed,
is the prospect that is stretched before us.
Therefore let us organize. Through
organization we come in contact with the
best of those who toll We find that
there are those who can profit by the ad-
vice we have to offer. We learn that
there are things that we have never had
the opportunity of hearing before that
will help us in our daily lives. There Is
in organization more than the mere
banding together for selfish purposes.
When we stand alone, how narrow is the
little world that we inhabit! When we
find ourselves associated with men whose
experiences have been wider and larger
than our own, what new avenues of
thought are opened up to us! We see
our shortcomings and our failures and
the remedies therefor. We see how we
can, without the expenditure of any addi-
tional energy, perhaps double and treble
our earning capacity, and consequently
secure more happiness and pleasure in
living, not only for ourselves, but for
those who are linked to us by ties of love
and friendship
Daily we see exemplifed the benefits
that accrue from organization. All that
the workers of the country have today
has come to them through organization.
And even with organization their present
conditions have only been brought about
by hard and persistent struggling. Moth
ing has ever come to the toiling masses
that they have not secured through years
of fighting. And in order to keep what
we have, we must organize. This is a
fact that must be apparent to every man
who keeps in touch with the current
events.
Employers associations, having for
their purpose the destruction of the work
ingmen IS unions, are daily giving evil
dcnce of their purposes. At the head of
these employers organizations are men
whose whole ambition in life is to OPP
press and grind down the men who, by
force of circumstances, depend upon their
daily toll to keep body and soul together
Those human leeches feed and fatten
upon the misercs of their less fortunate
brothcrs-less fortunate in the sense that
they have not been able 10 accumulate
vast fortunes ut the expense of underpaid
workers-and find their victims always
among the unorganized.
Why is it that organization among the
working classes is opposed by these en-
ployers' associations? Simply because
they know that as long as the working
men are banded together they are in po-
sItlon to demand (and enforce the de-
mandG living wages and decent condi-
lions. In the mind of the average en-
ployer, the workingman in his factory is
nothing more than means to an end
and that end is dividends Ills idea is TO
squeeze all he can out of the worker and
give as little as possible in return Where
there is no organization. and the worker
has to deal individually with the en-
ployer. this is the condition that, as n
rule, exists. And this is the condition
that the members of the employers asso
cation are trying to make general by
their opposition to labor unions. This is
why they are opposed to collective bar
gaining on the part of the workingmen.
10 the workers who are outside of the
unions of their craft we would saw that
their interests will be best served by af-
hllating themselves at once with their
fellow workers
You have nothing to lose but your
chalhs, and ii world to gain. DON t put
1t off. Do it today Tomorrow NAV
never come.