The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-09-02
Need OF Sincerity In the Labor
Movement.
LOYALTY TO THE, CAUSE.
Indifference Of the Individual Retards
the Full Triumph of Trade Union
ism-What Could Be Accomplished
by Absolute Unity of Purpose.

Good movements too often suffer
from Indifferent support. which MOI
only prevents the movement from
achieving the desired purposes. but also
has the result of inspiring the I'm
thinking. or those who merely think
they think. to condemn the movement
itself as unworthy or inefficient. when
The real fault was with the partici-
pants and not with the movement.
The ral battles and successes Of
lite. Whether at individuals or of
groups of individuals. are won By
those WHO have sufficient tenacity of
purpose To fight on StpadfaStly until
I he battle is won by men of SINGER
ity and loyalty TO their chosen cause.
Successful inventions have nearly al.
ways been the result of persistence in
he face OF ridicule. prejudice and pow
erty.
Elias Howe nearly starved while
clinging to the idea Of the sewing ma
chine which none but him could see.
Only about thirty years ago the tele-
phone was the subject of ridcule.
The triumphs of Howe and Bell as
well as other successful inventors dem
onstrated not only that their theories
of sewing machines and telephones
were correct. but also that they were
men of sincerity and tenacity enough
to stick to their purpose until It was
achieved.
Had they abandoned their attempts
it would have proved not that the
ideas were unsound but that the men
were cutters
Every nation has its national heroes
who have In the past helped to shape
| its destiny. and history records nu-
merous instances where the geography
of the world has been changed by men
of strong hearts and forceful purpose
by men of sincerity.
| The labor cause Is not different from
other human movements in its require
ment of sincerity of its participants as
a prerequisite to success. but it is suf
f1ciently well established. and its
achievements are so well known as not
to require the same degree of pertinac-
ity as needs the inventor who is ex-
ploring an unknown field of mechan-
| les.
The trail of labor unionism Is well
blazed and its history is repete with
ample examples of success to inspire
even the most faint hearted with con-
tidence. provided they will enter its
work with sincerity and tenacity
We have our crOakers. who. because
the movement has not succeeded In a
given spot. are prone to condemn It In
general. forgetting that the fact that
In other spots 1t has been crowned
with success proves that. like all other
human movements for good. 1t sue
ceeds where men are sincere and true
and fails where they are not.
We recently noted the expression of
one of the disciples of advanced po-
litical thought to the effect that be.
cause the union label demand was not
strong in a city that had been super
fcially canvassed In its behalf there
fore the union label was inefficient and
the workers should turn their atten-
ton to political action as their sole
remedy.
II this impatient dealer In political
wares was half as wise as he thinks
he Is 1t would be apparent to him that
men who were not sincere enough to
patronize themselves by purchasing
union label goods 300 days in the
year would hardly remember to vote
for themselves one day In the year.
Sincerity and loyalty to our general in
terests are very largely matter of
habit. and If the individual workers do
not acquire that habit they cannot be
expected to exercise it.
The workingman who fails to do his
duty TO himself and to his fellows ey-
cry day can hardly be expected to do
1t on election day.
Ii Is necessary to arouse each and
every wage Garner to the value of sin
certify of purpose In his every act. and
this cannot be done by telling him his
union is no good. And. moreover, II is
not so.
| If every man who works would Law
down his tools at given hour the
world would be on its knees to him
Immediately.
II every man who works would re.
fuse to buy any goods that did not
bear a nnion label all dealers and man
ufacturers would Immediately provide
them with union label goods.
II these two propositions are not
sound. then nothing In economics is
sound.
That neither OF these two conditions
has been wholly realized proves not
that the propositions are unsound. but
that many of the workers have been
untrue TO themselves both as produ.
GERS and as consumers.
Let us have less of the effort to de-
stroy the confidence of the workers
and more effort 10 inspire them with
faith. loyalty and sincerity and tenac-
ity of purpose.
Six Hundred Roons.
Since the last Washington sto. a.,