The Cairo bulletin., 1910-12-28
TIL, TRADE UNION
Teaches Workers the Power Of
Com.,i1ation.
MOVEMENT IS NOT MARROW.
Federation OF Labor Represents and
Voices the Aspirations Of the ToiIing
Masses--Proud of Its Pass and
/ Hopeful of the Future.

From the annual report of President
Samuel Gompers Of he American
| Federation Of Labor we c..ccrpt as fol-
lows.
The narrowness Of traG Z unlonism"
this phrase passes current. at full
face value, in every camp and even
In every grouplet Of "intellec .uals."
TIN going the whole round Of the
| "isms," sociological, ethical legal, po-
litical, reformatory, played out popu-
lar crazes or lust OUT social PIMA
ceas, one will hear expressed by tho
| leaders sentiment that the trade
unionists are hidebound conservatives
| because they decline to rush III II
| body to take the magic medicine for
social Ills offered by the particular
| ISM advocated by tie critic In each
particular case.
1t Is fact that trade unionism III
America moves Oh In its own set and
deliberate way. In 50 doing 1t has
outllyed wave upon wave Of hastily
conceived so called broad movements
that were to reconstruct society in a
single season. And 1t has sufficiently
good cause for continuing Its own rea-
soned out course
I A full defense Of trade unionism
| against the charge Of narruwness
would require many volumes were
each to be separately devoted to
counter statements and augmentation
addressed TO every critic advocating
his own special ism" as against trade
unionism But there II ole broad boz
{. tom fact underlying all the criticisms
of trade unlonism based on Is alleged
narrowness. That fact is that trade
un.onism is not narrow.
The locomotive engine f. not mar
+, row" because 1t Is not fitted to run
on highways and byways ana Water-
ways as 1t is for railways, nor Is tbs
| steamship marrow" because 1t cannot
be made to run on land. But steam,
| the motive power, can be so applied
that 1t is effective on both land and
water. An engine Is adapted to al
| special use. Steam In its applications
is universal.
Similarly a trade union Is not ma
chine fitted to the work of directly af:
| fecting all the civic, social and pollti-
cal changes necessary In society. But
| 1t first Of all teaches the working class
es the power of combination. Thence
forward 1t disciplines them, leads them
to perform tasks that are possible and
permits the members Of any of its aft
filiated bodies to attempt any form of
social experiment. which does not im-|
peril the organization as a whole. The
spirit Of combination has the immedl-
ate effects of self confidence for the
democratic elements IN unions, of
growth In the loyalty Of workingman
for workingman, Of constant progress
sive achievement not confined to re-
stricted limits. 1t IS therefore mo-
tive power continuously and various
ly applicable as the masses move for
ward and upward In development.
The spirit of combination in the
wageworkers has as motive power
many points Of resemblance to that of
steam Tor, for that matter. electricity
in the mechanical world One Of these
points is that the machine to be moved
must not be too big or too complex for
the engine. Theorist social reformersi
beyond enumeration have In vain offer
ed their utopian inventions to the mass
es because the latter endowed with
common sense, have on due observation
refused to supply the needed wasteful
power to make the inventions 60 II
they had done so for time they could
but have exhibited the folly Of going
to greater pains and troubles than the
present Social machinery requires The
history of the United States is plen-
tifully illustrated with millennial en-
periments, illusory for the reason that
their maintenance In some way over
taxed their supporters, accustomed to
making progress In the freedom and
opportunity of America even as 1t Is.
\ No other mechanism for carrying out
the will Of the wageworkers In the
domain In which they can especially
benefit themselves has equaled the
trade union and the trade union move
ment In bringing desired results. No
other has equally stood the test Of
time. No other has thrown anything
like the light upon the state of mind
Of the masses with respect to their
q. al, nAt, tHs
been able to show how Intensely Crac.
teal the workingmen are. nor how
devoted they can show themselves to
q clearly defined principle. nor how
ready they are to trust to their own
leadership, nor how they invariably
refuse as class to embark In fiction
born utopian ventures The trade
union has been broad enough for all
practical purposes.
The trade unions arc the historically
and naturally developed labor move
ment Of our time, cline and eondI. +,
lions. Our federation Of trade unions
represents and voices the struggles.
needs and the aspirations of the toll
ing masses of our continent 1t helps
bear their burdens and makes them
lighter. 1t bears the scars and pain of
battle and shares In glorious trnmphs
already achieved and makes ready for
the brighter and better day now, to-
morrow and tomorrow's tomorrow.
Nothing daunted, but straightforward
and courageous, our labor movement. |
proud Of Its past. faces the future with
an abiding faith ard cnnn dn1,an ~, fl