United labor bulletin., 1910-12-01


Walker. president of the United Mine
Workers of Illinois, and unanimously
adopted by the Illinois State Federation
of Labor, is looked upon as the first step
in the establishment of a state labor
party and an example of independent
political action which will be followed
by many State Federations.
The resolution sets forth that the
powers of government, legislative, execu-
tive and military. are potent factors in
the determining whether or not strike
will be success or a failure, and as
both the Democratic and Republican
party organizations are absolutely under
the control of the employing interest,
only party composed and controlled ex-
clusively by the working class can be re-
lied upon at all times in every manner
and way to serve the best interests of
the workers.
The secretary of the State Federation
of Labor is instructed by the resolution
to correspond with every bona fide labor
union or other organizations composed
exclusively of workers. such as farmers,
etc, in the state of Illinois, asking them
to take a referendum vote on the ques-
ton of whether or not they are in favor
of starting new political party to be
known as a labor party. The secretary
is to compile a tabulated statement,
showing the result of the ballot of each
of these organizations separately. and to
report In detail to. the next annual con
ventfon or the Illinois State Federation
of Illinois for action
This step has been discussed in labor
circles in Denver and nearly all are
agreed that the vote will be almost
unanimous for a labor party. Why those
who pose as leaders of union labor in
Colorado pause in the onward march of
the labor movement is not clear unless
it is the desire for a share of the politi-
cal patronage which the old parties have
to distribute. We of Colorado should be
up and doing, for here the iron hand of
capital has fallen the hardest. and is
ever raised to deal a stinging blow
That organized labor of the country
is approaching great crisis is a fact"
says Max Hays in writing from the A.
F. of l. convention at St Louis, that is
being clearly developed in the discus
sions that are now taking place upon the
floor of the American Federation of La
Dor convention. The war of extermina-
every form of trades unionism by the
United States Steel corporation result
ing in the defeat and wiping out of the
tin plate workers as far as the trust is
concerned and the desperate and almost
hopeless struggle of the seamen on the
Great Lakes appears to be spreading to
other branches of industry
1T is well-known fact that the to-
bacco trust drives out every man or
woman who carries union card as
quickly as that combine swallows an in
dependent concern that employs organ
lied workers. The sugar trust locked
cut its employees in the East as soon as
they organized The telegraph compa-
mics will permit no organization among
their employees, the express combine
fiecely attacked its employees when they
organized and declared for open shop
in order to demolish the recently-formed
union. The great strike in the north
west left the switchmen under open shop
conditions. The garment workers are
engaged in bitter struggles in Chicago,
St Louis and several other places at
present.
The strikes at the pressed steel car
works at McKees Rocks and in the Beth
lehem steel plants. controlled by Charles |
NJ. Schwab. have left the workers in no |
better position than before those fierce |
contests began. and their unions are |
demoralized. The beef trust |
which batters down prices to cattle rails. |
ers on the one hand and sandbags the |
of meat on the other. chases |
all workers out of its plants the moment
they join a union and are spotted by its |
small army OF spies.
The cracker trust will permit no or |
ganized men OF. women to work in its |
plant nor will tie -four trust or a dozen |
other companies that might be named
This condition is causing many delegates |
upon the floor to clamor for financial |
and moral support to wage strikes and |
boycotts into which their organizations |
have been or are being forced. But the |
federation Is a voluntary organization |
and can not arbitrarily levy assessments |
and thus the afiliated bodies must de-
pend upon each others liberality and |
their own resources.
Another important matter that Is be-
ing brought out in the debates Is that |
there is strong socialist undercurrent
running through the convention. Dele
gates who were classed as ultra CON i