The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1910-02-04
ENEMIES OF UH|ON|SM
Anti-union Employers and Revo-
Iutionary Socialists.
TWO IRRECONCILABLE FOES.
Both These Forces Oppose the Pro-
gram of the Civic Federation For In
dustriaI Peace Because of Their
Hatred of Organized Labor.

Organized labor in this country is be-
set by two vindictive and unrelenting
enemies. These forces are marShaled
In two strangely contrasting groups.
One is composed of certain organiza-
lions of employers, who, while pretend
ing friendship for properly conduct
ed and well regulated unions" at the
same time make demands upon them
which they themselves know would
work their destruction. These en-
ployers' organizations regard as ''well
regulated" only such labor unions as
always abide by the rules and regula-
lions of the employer, with the strike
an acknowledged impossibility, no
matter what strain and stress may be
the lot of the employees at any time.
Their literature is a consolidated
mass of citations of brutal or dishon
est or unfair actions of isolated unions
or the blunders. criminal or other
wise, of some of the minor radical ma
tional unions, which every good citi-
zen, union man or nonunion, deploreS.
The intent, of course, is to give the
impression that these represent the
spirit and sum total Of organized Ia
boris efforts. They do not explain
that there are $4,000 local unions in
the United States and that it would
naturally be no difficult thing to find
material for volume of unjustifiable
and regrettable incidents. A book was
published some years ago by the Free
Thought Publishing company, entitled
''The Crimes of Preachers" with a
view to proving that the church was
rotten to the core. Such collection
might be made detailing crimes COM
mitted by physicians, farmers, law
yers. merchants, manufacturers or any
other group in the professions and oc-
equations.
The anti-unionists never hint at the
| truth that many of the most violent
strikes are by nonunion men, such as
the recent McKees Rocks and some of
the Paterson silk mill strikes, where
the strikers were mostly Socialists
and anarchists, but try to convey the
idea that they are all union men. They
viciously attack as un-American and
brand as illegal and infamous the
"closed shop policy of the unions, ell
tirely ignoring that all the great rail
way brotherhoods are open shop or
CARNATIONS, and for these they have
as little good will as for the other Ia
Dor organizations.
ipnnrn
the constructive, benevolent and edu-
cational work of the unions. They
never mention the fact that the unions
pay out more money every year for
death, sick and other benefits than
they do for strikes. They never recog-
nize the educational value of the I'M
ions, whose official trade journals con-
signed to educate the members in their
trades and improve their skill.
The other active foe of organized la
Dor is the revolutionary Socialist body.
The Socialists fight organized labor be-
cause the American unions will not
support their revolutionary class ha-
tired program.
The Socialists oppose the unions be-
cause they are securing shorter hours,
better wages and better conditions for
the workingmen, achievements which
are fatal to Socialist philosophy and
its desire to make things worse as fast
as possible in order to pave the way
for the social revolution.
The unions may differ from the en-
ployers as to the division of profits,
but they seek equitable and reasonable
contracts and agreements with them
and while standing firmly for their
own interests do not regard all employ
ers as parasites, as do the Socialists.
Organized labor recognizes the rights
of property and the wage system. The
Socialists would wipe out the whole
wage system and with it the employ
ers as well. With them whatever is,
is wrong. The unions, struggling with
the facts of life rather than with the
mouthings of theorists, have generally
repudiated the whole Socialist program.
These two foes of organized labor
have obviously very little in common,
but their hatred of organized labor
forms bond between them. They
are frequently seen throwing bouquets
at each other. This exchange of COM
pliments seems ludicrous at first, but
it has its inspiration in something east
ly comprehended. This hatred of the
unions shown by these two groups of
men extends to any and all movements
which include in their objects the help
ing or encouragement of organized la
Dor. The National Civic federation,
being composed of large employers
who recognize the worth and value of
organized labor and believe in dealing
with 1t as to wages, hours and condi-
tions of employment and of officers Of
leading unions and men representing
the great body called the public, is en-
gagged In a movement to bring about
the best possible relations between
capital and labor and is therefore log
ically attacked by both the enemies of
labor unions-the employers assocla-
lions, which are anti-union, and the So
cialists.
The union smashing employers or
CARNATIONS represent very small pro-
portion of the employers of the coun-
try, but what they lack In numbers
they make up for In venom In their
attacks upon either the American Fed
Grafton of Labor or the National Civic
federation. Ralph NJ. Easley In Ma
tional Civic Federation Review.