Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1912-10-05
THIRD TERMER'S
JOKE ON LABOR
BrandeIs Shows Right TO Or
ganIze Is Not Recognized.
THE PLATFORM IS SILENT.
Noted Lawyer Exposes the Filnnsinsss
Of PROMISES Made to Workinsnsn by
Perkins and His Candidate, Who
Stands For Private Monopoly.


Of PROMISES Made to Workinsnsn by
Perkins and His Candidate, Who
Stands For Private Monopoly.
1.-The new party pledges itself to So
cial and industrial justice and specific
ally to work increasingly for effective
legislation looking to the prevention of
occupatlonal Diseases overwork. invol-
untary unemployment and other In
furious effects incident to modern in
dustry, but nowhere In that
long and comprehensive platform
can there be found one word
approving the fundamental right OF
labor to organize or even recognizing
this right without which all other
grants and concessions for improve
ment of the condition of the working
man are futile. The platform promises
social and industrial justice. but does
not promise industrial democracy. The
justice which 1t offers IL that which
the benevolent and wise corporation
is prone to administer through its well
fare department. There is no promise
of that justice which free American
worlkingmen are striving to secure for
themselves through organization. In.
deed, the Industrial policy advocated
by the new party would result In the
denial OF labor's right to organize.
1.-THE new party stands for the per
petuation and extension of private
monopoly In industry-that private
monopoly from which the few have
ever profited at the expense of the
many and for the detAronement of
which the people have. in the past,
fought so many valiant battles. That
cursed product of despotism, the new
party. proposes to domesticate In our
republic, proclaiming. we do not fear
commercial power Certainly organ
lied labor has bad experience with the
great trusts which should teach all
men that commercial power may be so
great that It is the part of wisdom to
fear It."
The above declaration was made by
Louis d. Brandeis before the conven-
ton of the American Federation of
Labor, Massachusetts state branch. at
Fitchburg. Sept 10.
- OF Supreme Importance.
He urges careful study of the new
party platform, particularly Its effect
upon labor, noting not only WHAT 1T
CONTAINS, but WHAT 1T OMITS.
adding, when you make that exami-
nation you will find that there is
significant omission and that this skill
fully devised platform TAKES FROM
LABOR MORE THAN 1T GIVES"
Labor Record Of Trusts.
Mr. Brandels then lays bare the la
Dor record of the trusts, declaring that
great trusts-the steel trust, the sug-
ar trust. the beef trust, the tobacco
trust, the smelter trust and a whole
troop Of lesser trusts-have made the
determination Of organized labor from
their factories the very foundation
stone of their labor policy. The abili-
ty to defeat labor's right to combine
seems to have been regarded by the
trust magnates as a proper test of the
efficiency of their capitalistic combina-
ton"
Mr.. Brandeis shows that in 1909.
during the Colorado smelters' strike.
the American Smelling and Refining
company closed its mills where the
strikers had been employed and trans
ferred the work to other mills, thus
breaking the strike. The United States
Steel corporation had similar success
in 1901 with the Amalgamated Assoc
citation OF Iron and Steel Workers.
Had the association been dealing with
competing employers the result would
have been different. The United States
Steel trust was prompt in introducing
this plan. June II. 1901. six weeks
after 1t began it's operation, its execu,
tive committee passed this vote. which
was offered by Charles Steele. part
ner OF George w Perkins In the firm
of J. p. Morgan & Co.:
THAT we are unalterably opposed to
any extension of union labor and ad-
wise subsidiary companies to take firm
position when these questions come up
and say that they are not going to rec
ognize it-that is, any extension Of un-
ion In mills where they do not now
exist"
Union Men Not Wanted.
The result was that the bulk of
Americas union laboring men In the
Iron and steel industry were made to
understand that they were not wanted
Mt the works Of the United States Steel
corporation. Places once Hlied by
american laborers loyal to their union
were given to others. and. as the Stan.
hey committee found. "Hordes OF la. |
borers from southern Europe poured |
Into the United States."-
Hence about 80 per cent Of the I'm.
skilled Iaborers In the iron and steel |
business are foreigners of these classes.
the profits going to the steel corpora
ton Mr. Brandeis declared that 1.-The
and continuing result of
The steel trusts triumph over organ.
Ted labor has been an extensive sys |
tenn OF espionage and repression"