United labor bulletin., 1910-11-24

remain in these backward parts OF the
country. However. when these people
come into regions where higher wages
are being paid, where the peple are used
to better habits and a better mode of
living, they will soon contract the habit
to demand the same conditions as their
fellow workers. How is that to be ex-
planned? In most cases this Is caused
by the fact that they associate with
more educated workers, who open their
eyes to their conditions and urge them
to acquire better habits of life. They
soon realize on their own body that it
is much better to work only nine and ten
hours instead of fourteen every day, and
that it is also more agreeable to receive
three and four dollars a day instead or
only two dollars. They realize that it is
much more agreeable to their constitu-
ton to live as men instead of animals,
always ready to work at the call of their
master. A man once educated to that
standard will never again return to long
er working hours and lower wages, ex-
cepting natural conditions which some
times present themselves to us unfortun-
ates, such as times of direst need, when
starvation stares into the races of our
loved ones Under such conditions a
man might accept sometimes intolerable
conditions of work only to work SO much
harder for better days for himself and
those suffering with him.
Who would deny that educating the
workers and fostering among them the
desire for cultured wants is one of the
foremost and principal tasks of trade
unionism? The latter dies, but only
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for civilization; it also awakens among
the workingmen the feeling of independ-
ence and honor. There are many rules
and regulations which have been torn
from walls of factories already by union
men and strongly have they resented or
Gers from their employers which placed
restrictions upon them to be observed
even when away from work. But such
things happen only where the workers
are organized, where they are unit and
supported by their organization. There
they are in a position to resent emphat-
ically any and all unreasonable demnds
on the part of the employer.
When all the workers in the trade real
ize the necessity to better their condition
as class when they have realized the
necessity of civilized aspiration, when
the feeling of belonging to each other
and the spirit of solidarity has imbued
them, then the trade. union movement
may successfully attempt to fulfill one
of its main objects: the achievement of
favorable conditions of work and wages
and If need be it may employ the strike
in order to successfully fight for such
conditions. 1t may then resort to a
strike, knowing only too well that 1t can
depend upon the moral qualifications of
its members. But the trade union move
ment also knows that a fight for better
conditions is by no means ended when 1t
has proved itself to be a success, when
the members prove themselves worthy
of 1t, /. e., when they watch with vigilant
eyes (that they are not deprived again
of the rights for which they have
fought. An organization composed of
such members and having the necessary
ammunition on hand will safely and sure
ly overcome even the most difHcult situ-
ations.
A .well-educated and well-founded or
ganization has its marked influence upon
the working and wage conditions with
out being compelled to call its members
out on the battlefield. The mere exist
ence of a strong and powerful organiza-
tion in many cases is sufficient to cool
down the fighting spirit of the labor-hat-
ing elements among the ranks of the
employers. The material achievements
of the trade unions for their organized
members aggregate millions in their
value.
And they alone can be traced to the
educating effects of the trade unions
The efforts of the employers, whether
the latter are large or small ones, to
keep down the wages as much as pos
sible, will always smash to pieces on the
walls of the trade unions. This should
even be recognized by those who have at
no time done anything in order to i'm
prove the conditions of their fellow work
ers. It should be realized by all those
who have always been used to enjoying
the fruits of the efforts of others, who
have reaped without sowing.
What the trade unions have done IN
this direction for the workers is i'm
mense; it has at all times been proved
that the trade unions are in a position
to materially improve conditions of their
members, to supply them with the
means to somewhat equalize their wages
with the ever-increasing prices of the
means Of existence. On the other hand.
it has been shown that the trade unions
by their mere existence influence the
working conditions and wages, especially
where they are financially well situated.
This mere existence exercises a magic
power over all those who are not able
to exist without exploiting the labor
power of others, and they are therefore
compelled to give in to the demands Of
the owners of this labor power, and they
are compelled to grant what is needed
for a humane living. It is this fact
which has excited the hatred existing in
all employers associations. But this fact
ought to also be the means to urge those
still outside of the organization of their
trade to join it as soon as possible