The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-11-14
Is This i'm Russia or i'm Free

ers for one of the lumber companies
(which recently closed their mills IN
order to starve out the labor unions
formed among their employees, ap-
| preached a notary public, personal
| friend of mine, and exhibited to him
form Of oath which he was in
structed to have every man sign be-
| fore he would be given employment
| in the mills of this company. This
oath contained a solemn promise
never to join any labor organiza-
| ton, and the sworn statement that
| the affiant was not then member
| Of any labor organization. II fur
Their stated that the at1iant solemnly
! bound himself not TO contribute
anything to the support of labor
organization. The gentleman repre-
senting the lumber company asked
| the notary what he would charge
him for each affidavit, stating that
there would probably be great
many. and evidently expected re-
duced rates. The notary, who places
principles above gain, and who cares
absolutely nothing for money except
| to spend it. replied in words about
as follows:
Believing SO strongly as ! do in
the right of the laboring man to or
ganize for his own protection, |
would not administer such an oath
/ as that to any man for any consld-
Grafton,
or course. there are plenty of no
taries who will not trouble their
minds about things like this. and
will administer the oath, but my OBJ
iect in writing this is to ask the
press of this city to call attention to
| this high-handed attempt to force
the laboring men by threats of
starvation to refrain from any con-
certed action 10 better their condl-
| ton We all recognize the necessity
! for organization. in every branch OF
industry aud human endeaVor. The
| men who are trying to force such an
/ oath on their fellow men are them
/ selves organized into one of the most
powerful combines i'll the world, and
have been accused of throttling leg
| islation against their interests by
| eIecting men favorable to them, or
lin buying off members who were mot
on their side at first. | do not say
| they did buy them, but suspicion
has been strong against the great
lumber trust. | do not know that
| this company of which | speak has
any connection with the trust, and
| hope they have not. But the fact
remains that they are asking free
American citizens TO sign an oath
/ that they would not sign themselves,
and they are using the power OF
capital to force labor to work at the
price sci by capital or starve. when
every man with reasonable amount
Of brains is bound to acknowledge
| that in bargain or trade both sides
should have equal rights. Why
should not the laborer have a right
to put a price on his labor as we'll
as the manufactures to put price
on his product? Labor is willing to
| let the price depend on the law of
supply and demand, but the manu-
| facturer is not. When prices get too
low for him, he closes his mills till
prices advance. Some of the mills
have claimed that they could save
more money by being closed than
| they could make running
| would like for you to answer
through your editorial columns the
following questions:
/. Is there not a law now on the
statute books of the State against
intimidating labor by requiring such
an oath?
2. If there is not such a law now
on the books, would it not be emf
nently proper fol- the candidates
now running for the Legislature to-
be requested to have such law en-
acted at the next session of the Gen.
eral Assembly?
/ take deep interest in this ques-
ton, as | have been a member of or
ganized labor for more than twenty
five years, and still retain my MEM
bership in the Typographical Union,
which no amount of money, persua-
sion or persecution could take from
me-
believe some Of our candidates
for the Legisl ature are in favor of
organized labor. and hope to hear
from them on this subject. Very tru-
~ yours, RUSSELL P. MOORE,
Shreveport, La, Nov. ii, 1911.