El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-31

T, somewhere in our country from one to
a score Of our fellow men are assaulted
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 taxpayers TO pay extra police,
sheriffs and militia TO protect, even in a
feeble way, the citizens from the mobs
of members of the American Federation
OF Labor
Then you will realize why the great
peace-loving majority Of over 80 million
of this crime tainted organization COM
prising perhaps one and one-half million
men, of which it is estimated at least
seven-tenths are peace-loving citizens
not in sympathy with the three tenths
who have gained control and force their
methods.
We find that few designing men
have seized control Of the American
FederaIen Of Labor, just as some
shrewd CAPITALISTS have secured control
Of some railroads and other interests
and are now twisting and turning them
into machines for Pezsonal profit and
fame
These men cunningly plan 20 force
workmen to join and pay % to Is cents
q month in fees.
Various methods are used to induce"
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 ex-
cites the emotions of workmen and
they are induced TO Join" and pay fees
TO the leaders.
The 5000 wOrknen 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 She trust and joined. they would pay
il fees from s125O.0O 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 comforts.
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
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
1st saying its no use"
The workmen knew the record of this
great trust and formed their own asso-
citation to protect their rights and also
to protect them from the big Labor
Trust.
In Philadelphia some 1000 indepen-
nj
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 q 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 fami-
lies. The strike was ordered, not to
raise wages or reduce hours, remem-
Der. but solely to throw out members
of an Independent union and make
places only for Labor Trust members,
and thus show the Independent men
they could not earn living unless they
first paid fees to the trust managers.
Incidentally the people of Philadel-
phia must submit TO no car service,
rioting and blDodshed with millions in
losses while these fee-hunting, notori-
ety-seeking trust leaders were teaching
the world thattindustry cannot be car
ried 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 each
morning! It's meat and bread TO their
souls.