The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-28
EVILS OF FAcrIoHALIsM.

Trades Unions Should Present . SeIid
Trent 70 Their Fees.
There is altogether too much fac
tionalism In the world OF labor.
OF course every faction seeks to keep
IN stock q shop worn set Of alleged
excuses for it, failure to get In line
with. the big family Of unions. but
none Of them will stand analysis. be-
cause no logical reason can be given
to justify any split In labor's ranks.
Quarrels over personal opinions or
ambitions are personal affairs and
should not affect the attitude Of the
workers toward the labor movement.
nor should they prevent the workers
from fully realizing the value and ne
cessity Of unity.
The moment a group Of workers an
nounce their Independence Of the gen.
eral labor movement they convict them.
selves a. being either ignorant or 6lled
with selfishness Of the narrow type
that hopes to secure some temporary
trivial advantage for a select few at
the expense Of the many.
The desire to hold Office Is perhaps
the most common cause Of factions
among unions. but 1t Is not good
reason.
The labor cause Is OF vastly more
importance than any individuals in it.
and when any alleged labor man advo-
Gates division Of the forces Of labor
II il pretty clear that such q man
holds his opinions and selfish interests
a. of more Importance than the cause,
and that he Is unworthy of support.
Such differences Of opinion as may
exist between members Of labor unions
a. to correct union laws or policy
should always be settled within the
union and never be made q pretext fol
factionalism.
When differing opinions are discuss
ed within the union, the discussion Is
educational and beneficial. because the
constant grinding Of one intellect
against another Is broadening in Its
effect. serves to put the adherents Of
each side on their mettle and very
probably will result In correct action.
But II the union splits. each factor
being composed of men who think alike
deprives both factions Of the education
al effect which can only come through
debate. Thus there Is lost not only tn
unity essential to success, but also tn
broad educational influence Of discus
sions based upon divergent opinions.
Imagine that members Of a unior
seek to make some change in unioI
rules or laws and when defeated the.
. >Ax
were right. but when they seeded the!
took all the adherents Of their pet re
form out Of the union and left the uniol
to 90 unreformed. Now, assuming the
were really right, II they had stayed il
the union they would surely prevail II
the end. Thus secession or factionaI
ism not only tends to render the uniol
weak, but to deprive 1t Of the benefit
| Of suggestions Of reform, some Of whic
might be valuable and might finally b
adopted.
And labor needs unity now more thai
ever before. In spite Of the progress
that has been made. because our oppo
nents are becoming better organizes
and because the pay envelope is no
keeping pace with the increasing cos
| Of living.
The old saying that there il q tim
for everything does not apply to split
in the forces Of labor, because there
no time appropriate for labor to spill
| Bear and forbear in the discussion Q
your differences, but preserve unity.
| Say to yourself. to nonunionists an
to Independent factionists. that labo
has no time to spend in factional dis
cussion except to unite the faction
that have already been created. an
that the time to unite Is now.-Sho
L