Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1911-07-27
Mitchell Speaks
At Fair Grounds
Addresses Large Crowd on "ldeals Of
the 7 AIDES Union
Movement"
ExPoUNDs PRINCIPLES OF
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING,
Working Men and Their Families
Gather From Three States
To Hear Him.

gathered from three states last Satur-
day afternoon and assembled at the
State Fair Grounds on Wheeling Is
i land to hear John Mitchell lecture on
1.-THE Philosophy and Ideals Of the
i Trades Union Movement" Those VINO
came were favored with fOrceful
4 presentation of the trades union de-
i tense fro none of the very best
known Labor officials in America.
/ Even the radicals found much less to
condemn in his talk than they had
been led to expect.
i The speaking was to have begun at
IL o'clock, but on account Of be crowd
being slower at assembling than had
been expected, and because some of
! the sport events required a longer
! time than had been figured it was $3.50
! before the meeting was called to or
4 der by President E. ]. Weekley, of the;
i Ohio Valley Trades ami Labor Assem-
IDLY, who INTRODUCED Walter y. Hilton,
editor of the Wheeling Majority, as
! permanent chairman.
Mr.. Hilton spoke for but a few
4 minutes, outlining the purpose of the
meeting, and calling upon all the
| workers to get together in their
/ mutual interest, and then introduced
the speaker ofthe day, John Mitchell.
who was greeted with a storm Of ap-
i plause
At the conclusion Of the address
4 hundred crowded to the platform for
an opportunity to shake hands with
/ Mr.. Mitchell, and throughout the adj
1 dress frequent applause manifested
4 the interest his hearers had
The Address.
Mr.. Mitchell, spoke in part, as fol
i lows:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends
/ and Fellow Workingme want, in
/ the first place, to- commend the trades
unions Of this city and the Ohio val
Hey for the organizations they nave
built up and the manner in which they
have maintained them. want 70
4 commend them for the manner IN
| which they are conducting labor's bat
/ ties and the progress they have made
towards advancing their own inter-
ests.
81 am both surprised and disappQint-
ed to learn that certain opposition TO
i labor and laboring mems orgaplza-
lions has sprung up in the city o.
wheeling and am panied to note the
attitude of the business interests To-
wards you. 1t is my profound belief
that this opposition is ulfounded ana
nniustified, and that all, both employer
j and employee, both the working man
and the capitalist, should work hanl
in hand towards the advancement OF
Il interests which should be mutual ana
i for the ultimate benefit OF their city
= 1-,,<,n% OTfn uo1loV
! Outlines Objects.
esI am going to attempt to outline TO
Won something Of the ideals and OBJ
iects Of trades unionism. This matter
Of labor organization marks one OF the
main points in the complex proDlem
If modern industrialism, and ITS rise,
Ito be fully understood, should De
traced directly up from the time o.
long ago when life was more simple,
i to the gradual change and the sWiLt
rise on the present industrial age. ID
this connection, ] aver, as one Of our
prime objects, that trades unl0nlsm
f has not the object of the advancement
Of the exceptional man, but the bet
torment Of actual living conditions Ior
all men.
.sWnat we cali the modern world,
with all its complexities of life, with
all its contrasts of wealth and poverty
and all its hurry and hustle OF indus
trial conditions, is the direct offspring
of producing wealth. The whole
change from the primal simplicity OF
q life wears ago to the present every
Il day problems, was inevitable. And
4 with these changes, the evils brought
about by the constantly changing
ideals and conditions have mostly
brought their own correctives. But
for those that have not we owe the
foundation of the present trades IN
]. ionism system.
4In the hundreds of trades unions
that already exist and among the
thousands of local organizations anil
Il lated with them, constantly shifting,
]. vexing problems arise, end in the solu-
A tion Of these bewildeing maze OF
misunderstood ideas surrounds the
belief Of many regarding the undeTly-
ing principles of this doctrine we
teach. the doctrine of trades unionism.
aIInionism starts from the universal
recognition Of the fact that the unor-
ganized Workingman cannot bargain
adyantageously with the employers Of
Z labor for his work. Trades rniOnism
recognizes the fact that under such
conditions as confront those who are
nnorganized. the unorganized man is
lobviously under disadvantage.
Lower wages and too long hours,
evils borne by the un0fganized man
lhecause he has no remedy Tor them,
endanger the life and health Of such
Workingman, and the result is that
he is forced to labor under those con