The Detroit times., 1910-08-31

a score OF our fellow men are assault
ed or murdered by members OF this
band.
Then remember the homes blown up
or burned. The families bounded. the
riotlng, burning of street cars, wreck.
ing OF trains and attempted or success.
ful killing of passengers.
The general disturbance Of industry
and the thousands of dollars forced
from taxpayers 10 pay extra police,
sheriffs and militia to protect, even in
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 so mil
lion Americans protest against the
growth OF this crime-tainted organiza-
ton comprising perhaps one and one
half million men, of which 1T is esti.
mated at least seyen-tenths are peace.
loving citizens and are members by
coercion and are not In sympathy with
the three-tenths who have gained con.
troll and force their methods
We find that 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 inter
| ests and are now twisting aud turning
them into machines for personal profit
and fame.
These men .cunningly plan to force
workmen to join and pay % to rs
cents a month in fees
Various methods are used to "in-
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 emotions Of workmen and
they are induced to "join" and pay
fees to the leaders.
The 5000 workmen In Battle Creek
are, as rule, free from the dictates
OF the great Labor Trust and still get
the highest wages in Michigan. III they
had yielded to the smooth talk of the
agents OF the trust and Joined, they
would pay In fees from $3.50 to 1000
month to the big trust and be sub
ject 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, smokers,
ETC., as an investment, looking to rich
returns when they succeeded in hav-
ing them tied hand and foot.
But they failed and the last of these
"organi zers" left Battle Creek on May
LIST saying 'its 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 La.
Dor 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 a strike
was ordered TO compel the traction
company to kick out these men and
hire only Labor Trust members.
| IL 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 supsDrt their fami
lies. The strike was ordered. not 70
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 a living unless
they first paid fees to the trust man
| ayers.
Incidentally the people OF PhiIadel
phia must submit TO no car service
rioting and bloodshed with millions in
losses while these fee-hunting, notori
ety-seeking trust leaders were teach
ing the world that industry cannot 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 I'm the papers
each morning It's meat and bread To
their souls
Then think OF the lordly power. and
| don't forget the steady flow of money