The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-02-03
OUT OF WEAKNESS, STRENGTH
SUPREME.

waist makers of New York, great as has
been the success for the girls themselves,
has its highest value as sign of the
times. 1t promises coming victories in
other industries offen regarded as fruit.
less fields for labor organization. Every
leading moral and social element that has
contributed to unionizing the shortwaist
workers and the consequent lettering of
their conditions may confidently be ex-
peeted to play part in the approaching
uprising of the steel workers against the
Steel Trust.
The majority of the shirtwaist workers
for years paid slight attention to the
efforts of the trade unionists among them
tho case with the steel workers
The employers of the shirtwaist trade
persistcntly dsregardcd the protests of
their employees against low wages, tyran-
meal treatment, harsh discharges, and the
taking on of newly arrived immigrants to
compete with American labor or labor al
ready well on the way to being American
lied. So with the Steel Trust.
The employers in the shirtwaist trade
grew over-confdent, depending on their
supposed knowledge of their employees
aversion to labor organization, on the
loyalty OF their higher paid hands,
and on an inexhaustible supply of serf-
like laborcrs fresh from Ellis Island.
That s what the Steel Trust relies upon.
The shirtwaist girls and men, of
whom there were 5000 among the 10000
strikers-spontaneous at the propitious
moment took up with trade unionism and
the strike idea. That S what occurred in
the anthracite coal region il 1902 with
10000 men. The same move will be ex.
pectcd in the steel trade when the hour
of climax is due.
Among the shirtwaist makers the most
untlring, courageous, faithful strikers
were the employees among the highest
paid, upon whom tho bosses had relied as
beng sealed to them by the bonds of
self'lnterest What revelations of a sim
liar kind may not be awaiting the man
ayers of the Steel Trust who devised the
sham proft-sharing schcme9
The shirtwaist bosses found out that
while on strike the foreigner-in America
knows how to strive gamely, fight Wig
orously, and negotiate wisely. The Jew
and the Italian Joined hands. In the
great coal strike the Irishman and the
Slovak and score of other nationalities
formed American trade unions-and have
stuck to them ever since. The foreigners
among the steel workers have it in them
to do the same.
The shirtwaist employers association,
by some underhand management, started
OH with the New York police and petty
magistrates on its side. Today the tables
are turned, and New York is overwheIm-
lngly backing up the girls union. Let
not the Steel Trust rest on the crutch of
Flnkertonism and injunction makers.
Inns country is going to see fair play,
under the law.
The shirtwaist manufacturers associa
ton was astounded at finding out that
CIVIC societies already organized were as
slstlng the girls with cash, legal advice
and personal service
They were equally astounded on seeing
many prominent people well placed in life
coming out in support of the Door work
ers, and declaring that Labor in America
must not go down to the European level
ms element, whose strength and assist
ahce are not unknown to strikers among
Ine Older unions, embraces many persons
having the big American heart and the
true American spirit. They are helping
to show that love of our republic s prin-
clples and the stimulous to continued hui
man progress have their origin in every
walk of American life.
Ihe shrtwaist manufacturers cherished
the foolish belief that their IMPOVERISHED
and apparently spiritless toilers would
tremble at the thought of going to iail
or bearing the marks of a police bully s
CLUB. They, and all the country. learned
that when going to prison becomes a
merit the candidates to gain the distinc
ton always rise by squads and battalions.
The Steel Trust in prosecuting its war
against the trade unions is closing its
scattered mills to open up its colossal
state s prison workshops and "work
men dwellings, at Gary. Once upon a
time man did much the same thing at
fuliman!-Samuel Gompers, in American
Federationist