The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-24

matelv and yitallv the daily existence Of
tho toilers and that, awaiting the dawn
OF the millennium. they describe the Drac-
t!Cai solution OF the immediate problems
of the wage systems. enters the mind OF
the spectator who sits. with the Judgment
Of iuryman. In the convention gallery.
Once convinced that some kind of
wage earncrs' union is today essential,
the interested inquirer may have two
subsequent questions answered the more
easily
Why the present form OF organization?
Time has worked 1t out Ii Is not secret.
with rites Of initiation, regalia. grips.
signs and sounding titles for officials
and forctoEenaee OF social transiorina-
ton. for the reason that. by the present
generation OF workers, mystery. SYM
bolism. stage heroics and lodge-room the
To the directness OF the character OF trade
unionism Today's trade unionists are
through with the lost motions which took
up the time OF their fathers in tho noble
and holy orders of kniEhthood that were
wrecked on wind mills. They want IN
their prosaic daily work OF dealing Win
gowned prestidigita,eurs Juggling tinted
glass globes They are accustomed to
seeing a solid leather-covcred ball flying
straight from pitcher 10 batter and
thence. whack. 10 the field, in the open
From the little local union 10 the Amer
lean Federation OF Labor the pyramid OF
organization Is simple, symmetrical solid
work.
why not In politics? Well, which
party? 4 new party? Or one OF the old
parties? Political action requires unity
upon demands sufficiently important TO
induce men TO break their usual party
connections. Up 10 the present trade
unlonists have not reached agreement on
problematicai social remedies only re-
motely possible OF application. As for
projects falling within the limits OF prac-
iicability they exert n force favorable
70 ha srk N nll
laws now on the statute books are there
through union effort is shown by the
fact that in states where labor orsan
Zaiion Is weak the laws are few or quite
a dead letter. labor bureaus are nom
existent or feeble. and legislators are not
we'll convinced BY labor committees that
labor has a big vote and wants at least
small voice in legislation. However.
and IL may be To contemplate the masses
not ruling as they should in their ma
iority. the unbudgeabl" fact stands that
they Ike the professors Of economies.
the statesmen who impose tariffs. the
idealists who construct utopias. do not
agree on how and what TO rule.
why strike? Otherwise the reply must
be- the question OF mastery OF the mar
ket cannot be completely settled. Why
boycott? When the wor'Scrs shall be the
only offending party in this regard, they
alone may be called upon TO defend the
procedure. But practice OF the boycott
is common 20 all groups Of society why
tell you that unionists arc rarely as yio- |
lent as are non-unicnists. that organiza-
ton generally develops discipline. thai |
an unorganized community Is less lawful |
during labor disputes than one In which |
the unions are strong. Why refuse 10 |
work with the non-unionlst7 Because !
he offers a standing low bid for lob |
TO the buyer OF lsbor-if for no other |
res son.
So run the usual questions, and so
the replies The one and the other have |
formed the basis Of volumes. Only an
index TO them can be outlined here.
The reader has in theae lines been 4
invited as a spectator TO the convcn-
tion gallery He has had described 10 !
him the body OF labor delegates as one |
sitting with them has for years seen /
them lie has observed them at their