The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-04-21

STRONG PLEA.
For the Rights of the Workers in
.aRecent Address a Most Con-
vincing Argument.

recently delivered an address ON Trade
lnlonIsm in the auditorium of Cathe-
dral College, New York. Bishop Cusack
presided, and many of the clergy were
present. The lecture was the fourth in
series OF nine having to do with the
Church and Social Reform. Mr.. Mitch
ell said:
10 the ordinary man of affairs, i'm
mersed in his business and daily routine
of life, trade unionism may seem a be-
wildering maze of conflicting ideas and
divergent doctrines. Such man, un-
less he has a special interest in the sub
Ject, is liable to have his opinions form
ed from disjointed, scattering, and Of
ten untrustworthy information. At one
time he reads of trade unionists attempt
ing to raise wages reduce the hours
of labor, or demanding recognition of
the union, or urging n sympathetic strike,
or resisting or denouncing 4 federal in
junction. At other times the trade union
ist seems to be taken up with such cues
tons as whether the foreman shall or
shall not belong to the union; whether
the unionist shall or shall not work with
non-union men; whether particular fac
tory is in sanitary condition; whether
certain machine is speeded up too
much or not enough; whether the tenn
perature of given factory is such as to
cndanger the health of the operatives;
what differential should be paid for
new machine, and so on. In some in.
stances the unionist seems to be insisting
upon pay by the piece, and in other cas-
es refusing absolutely to have anything
to do with the piecework system. At one
time the unionists appear to be at war
with one another or with employers, and
at other times they are meeting AMIGA
bly, in gigantic declarations or legislat-
ing in con- junction with associations of
employers for the conduct and manage
ment of great industries
In the hundreds of national trade
unions that exist and the thousands of
local groups into which these orpaniza-
tions are divided, various problems are
encountered and various measures taken
in each exigency. The result is per-
fectly bewildering series of rules and
regulations in which the ordinary man
secs neither ryhme nor reason, except,
perhaps, that he observes in vague out
line the ever present desire on the part
of the workingmen to improve their con-
dltlons and to raise the standard of life
and labor. The complexity of trade un-
lonism, however, is merely the complex
ity of human life itself. No matter how
simple and fundamental the principles
OF an organization, its rules and regula-
lions necessarily become complex as soon
hnx,
that characterize modern life.
''In its fundamental principle, trade
unlonism is plain and clear and simple
1t starts from a recognition of the fact
that, under normal conditions, the indi-
vldual, unorganized workman cannot bar
gain advantageously with his EMPLOYER
for the sale of his labor Since the work
ingman has no money in reserve and
must sell his labor Immediately; since.
however, he has no knowledge of the
market and no skill of bargaining; be-
cause, finally, he has his own labor to
sell, while the employer engages hun
drcds, or even thousands, of men. and
can easily do without the services of
any particular individual, the working
man, if bargaining on his own account
and for himself alone, is at an obvious
disadvantage. Trade unionism recop-
Mics the fact that under such conditions
labor becomes more and more degeuer
ate, because the labor which the work
man sells is, unlike other commodities. a
thing which is of his very life and soul
and being. In the individual contract
between a powerful employer and a sin
! gle workman, the laborer will secure the
worst of the bargain. He is progress
sively debased because of wages INSULT
cient to buy nourishing food, becaues of
hours too long to permit of sufficient
rest, because of conditions of work de-
structive of moral, mental and physical
health, and finally because of danger of
accident and disease, which kill off the
worklngman or prematurely age him
| 1.-The individual bargain or individ-
ual contract between employers and men
means that the condition of the worst
and lowest man in the industry will be
that which the average man must ac-
| cept From the first to last, from be-
ginning to end, always and everywhere,
trade unionism stands unalterabIy op-
posed to the individual contract There
can be no concession or yielding upon
| this point No tcmporary bet+ar,p.,t