New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-23
WOULD UPL|FT MASSES
John Mitchell Tells of the Aims
of Trades Unions.
SAYS STRIKES DO GOOD
Labor Leader Speaks at First
Sunday Night Conference
of Brooklyn Church.

John Mitchell was the speaker at thu
opening Of the Sunday night conferences Of
the Holy Trinity Church last night in the
gymnasium OF the church. at Montague and
Clinton streets, Brooklyn The committee
had been trying TO get Mr.. Mitchell to
speak for them for some time and IN view
of the recent strikes in England and the
present Los Angeles case felt that this oc-
casion was timely.
Mr.. Mitchell said that he wished 70 change
his subject from The Moral Justification OF
Strikes TO The Purposes. Ideals and Phil
osophy Of the Trade Union Movement" He
took that subject, feeling that by the aver
age man the object of the trade union was
often misunderstood.
The ideal Of the trade union he said,
| sic not 10 secure the advancement OF ex-
cepuonal men, but rather. the advance
ment and uplifting Of the masses. In the
olden days before the coming OF the factory
system each household produced what it
needed for its own consumption, and all the
family toiled alike. To-day man does not
in many cases consume all, or even part.
Of what he produces. Al produce for all
now. The factory problem has given rise
% many diverse opinions. Of which not the
least is the regret that the good old days
Of home production nave gone by. For to-
day We have the poverty OF the masses, the
vast army of.the unemployed and the hous-
ing in unsanitary conditions" Continuing.
sIr. Mitchell declared
Trade uniorf1 were in existence even be-
fore the time Of Christ. and 10 is not un-
natural 10 suppose that the disciples were
members OF some guild The usual bust
ness man does not see anything IN the labor
union but the desire for shorter hours
and for more pay. He does not realize
what those things mean 20 the working
man. His old ana fal-9ciOus idea was that
more leisure is more time FOR drunkenness
or for gambling. while the trade union
counsels. rather, the advancement Of the in
tellect In the spare periods and the moral
uplifting Of the home.
A single worhngman. ignorant Of the
market and OF bargaining. IS in a poor pO-
siuon. unless organized 10 cope with organ
lied capital The ideal OF labor unions will
bc realized when organized labor with an
ample reserve fund and Q thorough under
standing, meets organized capital on the
same grounds. Then will ue made con-
tracts which are fair 10 both sides, and
then. and only then. will the working man
get his Just due
The ideals Of the trade unions are a
minimum wage that shall enable the work
man 20 live up TO American standards. the
eight-hour working day. legislation against
children engaging In wage earning pursuits
prevention Of accidents. making the en-
plOyers liable, and insurance I'm case OF
inJGrya sanitary working and housing con-
ditions; trial by jury; free speech and free
press
There is no phase Of trade unlonism 50
much discussed and so denounced as strikes
4 strike is only a method OF bargaining
the result OF the fact that employers and
employees cannot agree as 10 contracts.
People say that the strikers lose more
money in a strike than they gain in the
advance of wages. Perhaps that is true,
but there is a great moral uplift attached
20 a strike. even though IL IS lost. The
War Of the Revolution cost us a great
many times the price Of the tax on tea,
yet there is not a citizen of the United
States who IS sorry that ii was fought
II is asserted that bloOdshed and riot
follow strikes. That Is true. though r. IS
grossly exaggerated II I thought that
riot and laWlessuess were a necessary adj
iUnct Of strikes ! would leave the trade
Unions to-day. The Church. State and ma
ton are not 70 he denounced because Of
the sins OF a few.
Mr. Mitchell closed his address by say
ing that shorter hours had uplifted the
housing conditions as we'll as the moral
atmosphere IN which the workingman was
forced TO live. The purpose Of the trade
union IS constructive. not destructive" he
declared