Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-31

HOOdWinkin9
Clergy1nen

: 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 hound
ed, the rioting, burning Of street
cars, wrecking of trains and attempt
ed or successful killing of passen-
gers.
The general disturbance of indus
try, and the thousands of dollars
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
S0.0OO,O00 Americans protest against
the growth of this crime-tainted or
ganization comprising perhaps one
and one-half million men, of which it
is estimated at least seven-tenths are
peace-loving citizens and are not in
sympathy with the three-tenths who
have gained 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
turning them into machines for per-
sonal 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 lin
duce" workmen to join.
First, they talk of the tyranny
of capital making slaves of work
men.
Then they work up enthusiasm
about the brotherhood Of man" and
other talk which experience has
shown excites the emotions Of work
men 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. II they had yielded to
the smooth talk of the agents of the
trust and joined, they would pay in
fees from s1,250.00 to 100000 a
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
| nj
ers'' to tie up Battle Creek. They
hired halls, gave picture shows,
smokers, 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 cts 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 indie
pendent street car men, who mainly
had families, had their own union
and refused 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 MEM
bers.
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 fam
lilies. 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 men,
bers, and thus show the independent
men they could not earn a living un-
less they first paid fees to the trust
managers.
Incidentally the people of Phi1a-
delphia must submit to no car SER
vice, rioting and bloodshed with mil
lions in losses while these fee-hunt-
ing, notoriety-seeking trust leaders
were teaching the world that indus
try 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 in the papers
each morning! It's meat and bread
to their souls.