The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-30

| There is seldom a day passes but
somewhere in our country from one
to a score of our fellow men are as
saulted or murdered by members of
this band.
Then remember the homes blown up
or burned. The families bounded, the
rioting, burning of street cars, wreck
ing of trains and attempted or sue
cessful killing of passengers
The general disturbance of industry
and the thousands of dollars forced
from tax payers to pay extra police,
sheriffs and militia to protect. even in
feeble way. the citizens from the
mobs of members of the American
, Fed GRAFTON of Labor.
Then you will realize why the
great peace-loving majority of over
! 80 million Americans protest against
the growth of this crime-tainted or
ganization comprising perhaps one and
one-haf million men. of which it is
estimated at least Seven-tenths are
peace-loving citizens and are members
by coercion and are not in sympathy
with the three-tenthS who have gain
ed control and force their methods.
We find that a few designing men
have seized control of the American
Federation of Labor, just as some
shrewd capitalists have secured con-
troll of some railroads and other in
terests and are now twisting and turn
ing them into machines for personal
profit and fame.
These men cunningly plan to force
workmen to Join and pay rs to 70
cents a month in fees.
| Various methods are used to Tin
duce" workmen to join.
| First, they talk of the tyranny of
capital making slaves of workmen.
| Then they work up enthusiasm
about the brotherhood of man. and
other talk which experience has shown
excites the emotion 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
of 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 pay in fees from $1250.O0
| to 100000 month to the big trust
and be subject to strike orders any
| time.
Now they save that and put the
money into homes 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, smok-
| ers, ETC., as an investment, looking to
rich returns when they succeeded in
/ having them tied hand and foot.
But they failed and the last of these
"organizers'' left Battle Creek on May
| LIST saying ''it's no use.''
| The workmen knew the record of
! this great trust and formed their own
association to protect their rights and
also to protect them from the big
| Labor 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 strike
was ordered to compel the traction
company to kick out these men and
hire only Labor Trust members.
1t was not a question of wages or
hours but to push the free men out of
their positions where they were earn
ing good money to support their
families. The strike was ordered. not
to raise wages or reduce hours, re-
=, member. but solely to throw out MEM
| bers of an independent union and
make places only for Labor Trust
members, and thus show the indepen-
dent men they could not earn a liv-
ing unless they first paid fees to the
trust managers.
Incidentally the people of Philadel-
| phia must submit to no car service,
| rioting and bloodshed with millions
/ in losses while these fee-hunting, no
i toriety-seeking trust leaders were
teaching the world that industry can
not be carried on except by workmen
| who first bend the knee, bow the head
and pay fees.
How these men as strike leaders
love to see their names in the papers