The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-09-02

There is seldom a day passes but
somewhere in our country from one 10
a score of our fellow men are assault
ed or murdered by members OF this
band
Then remember the homes blown
I'D or burned. The families bounded,
the rioting, burning OF street cars
wrecking of trains and attempted or
successful killing of passengers.
The general disturbance Of industry
and the thousands of dollars forced
from tax payers to pay extra ponce,
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 80 mil
lion Americans protest against the
growth of this crime-tainted organlza'
ton comprising perhaps one and one
half million men, of which 1t Is estl-
mated at least seven-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 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 turn
ing them into machines for personal
profit and fame.
These men cunningly plan to force
workmen to join and pay rs to x
cents month in fees.
Various methods are used to in
duce" workmen to Join.
, First, they talk of the tyranny o
capital" making slaves Of workmen
Then they work up enthusiasm
about the brotherhood Of man" ant
other talk which experience ha
|, shown excites the emotions Of work
:, men and they are induced to join an
y pay fees to the leaders.
y The 5000 workmen in Battle Cree
= are. as a rule, free from the dictate
!, of the great Labor Trust and still &c
i the highest wages In Michigan.
:, they had yielded to the smooth tai
u OF the agents of the trust and joine,
~ ~ they would pay in fees from s1250C
- to 100000 a month to the big tru:
~ and be subject to strike orders an
% time.
Now they save that and put tt
i, money into homes and family cor
n forts
But the managers of the America
a. Federation Of Labor have workf
70 hard and long to harness them.
G. The trust has sent small bales
at money and last winter IS "organizer
to tie up Battle Creek. They hir'
. halls, gave picture shows, smoker
j" etc, as an investment, looking to ri
=. returns when they succeeded in ha
III ing them tied hand and foot.
-, But they failed and the last
ok these "organizers' left Battle Gre
on May LIST saying otis no use"
uo The Workmen knew the record
u this great trust and formed their o'
IL association to protect their rights a
also to protect them from the
&C. Labor Trust.
cir In Philadelphia some 1000 indep'
Id dent street car men, who mainly h
families, had their own union and
ow fused to join the big trust, preferri
lie to ne free to work or not as tt
tie pleased.
But the trust planned to force tn
tie into the fee-paying ranks, so str
was ordered to compel the tract
in company to kick out these men s
md hire only Labor Trust members.
ng, 1t was not question or wages
ed hours but to push the free men out
their positions where they were es
yho ing good money to support their ia
.tlv lies. The strike was ordered, not
lew raise wages or reduce hours, rem
, a Der, but solely to throw out memh
der OF an independent union and m
ich places only for Labor Trust memb
and thus show the independent I
nen they could not earn a living I'M
,ou- they first paid fees to the trust II
by ayers.
,oot Incidentally the people of Phila
ust. phia must submit to no car sery
less rioting and bloodshed with MILL
of in losses while these fee,hunting, n
will riety seeking trust leaders were tie
ing the world that industry canno
carried on except by workmen
nur- first bend the knee. bow the head
and pay fees.
ers How these men as strike lea
love to see their names In the pa