United labor bulletin., 1910-09-29
LABOR AND POLITICS.
(Hy Marshall uewitt.)

The statement In last weeks bulleu
that there are 100000 dues-paying mem
bers in the German Socialist party
should cause every American union man
to think and realize that the workingmen
of the United States are fully score
years behind their more progressive
brother workers In the fatheriand.
What the German worker has done the
American worker can do, but before he
can do it he must divest himself Of pref
udice and the stale rot of identity of in
terest between employer and employe,
which is eternally dinned into his ears
and Haunted before his eyes to hypno-
tie him into the delusion that his en-
ployer employs him because he loves
him, and therefore he should vote the
same way his master does on election
| day.
Mr.. Union Man, use your brain. Why
are you a union man? Is 1t because
your employer is such a good friend of
yours that you and your fellow workers
continue to make him more money, and
when you continue to make him more
money, is it because he shortens your
hours, raises your wages and surround
you with better conditions? Not bi
of it. Your organization arises from the
very opposite source for it is the injus-
tice, the cruelty and rapacity of your en-
ployers, who take advantage Of your ne
cessities to crush you as individual
working alone, that gives rise to the
union and compels you as class con-
scious worker to Join the union of YOU
craft, and as member of that union
you yer would sit in lodge with your
employer nor for moment consider a
question of delegating to him an author
ity of vital Importance to your union
after you combine for the uplifting Of
your class, you do not limit your activ-
| tiles to those of your own craft in the
industrial field, but in addition. to thu
burdens you assume to support your own
organizations, your sympathies and your
| cash is ever going out to your struggling
| brothers, who, like you, have been forced
to combine TO resist the greed Of a mas
ter class. Now this master class always
has you at great disadvantage. In the
| first place. they have the wherewithal-
the means of life, and can easily AFFORD
| to wait and starve you into submission
when you strike, and if you rebel, what
then? Nothing easier for them. All
they need to do is to invoke the powers
of government (their government and
not yours, If you please, and given to
them by your votes) to dub you, shoot
you, Jail or deport you. as best pleases
them; and SO fond are you of this kind
of government That you keep right on
voting for it at every election.
A few weeks ago some of the leading
railroads tributary to Denver had big
parade on our city streets. The true
union man characterized it as "scaD'
parade, which it really was. Prominent
on some of the banners carries was that
Haunting lie: "The interests OF the en-
ployer and employe are IDENTICAL; a
motto that never can apply to a true un-
ion man, but only to those scab unions
made up of scabs, strike-breakers, dep
uty sheriffs, gun men, spoilers and
thugs, a contemplate riff raff Of indus
trial 1lunkies intellectually degraded and
morally destitute aof principle. Such
creatures who lick boots for livelihood
may have an Identity of interest" with
their masters, but true union man, new
er. Yet the same union men who de
spise them will unite with them polit-
ically and march shoulder to shoulder
with them to the polls to vote the gov
ernment into the hands of the very men
who employ them to disrupt and destroy
the unions. The German workingmen
have too much common sense to do this
so they combine on the political field, es
tablish and support their own party, ant
at every election the increase of theiI
vote gives them new inspiration, hope
and courage and adds more and more to
the apprehensions and forebodings of thS
master class, who readily concede to de-
mands undreamed of by workingmen in
the United States. What If the two mil
lion men or more in the American unions
were united in a dues-paying politica
party organized on such lines as the Ger
man Socialist party, and what II these
union men should contribute only one
ldollar each to political campaign fund
and carry the truth of industrial condi-
tions to every fireside and home of the
land. Do you think a Republican gov
| ernor in the North or a Democratic gov
ernor in the South would dare call out
the militia to compel labor to submit to
our criminal administration of govern
ment. How long would the Judges OF
our courts dare issue injunctions to bin
the awakened giant of labor? These and
other wrongs which impede the march
of the wage worker on his way to eman-
cipation would be removed. But If they
ever are removed the workers must do
themselves. They must have their own
political party Instead of using that
party as a trading asset to get political
jobs for few of their number, they must
use it as a club to force concessions tha'
will benefit all and ultimately result in
the overthrow of wage slavery.
HOW TO SECURE SERVICE.