The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-05-16
TINE EVIL OF LADOR Unions
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Continued from page Onet
would not exist if il were not for the
limitations OF government without
restraints, industry itself would hard
" exist and the power TO restrain a
man from injuring his neighbors, and
to protect him from the dishonesty
and violence OF those neighbors Is
the function of the state.
One of the first benefits OF indust-
rial liberty afforded by law is the
protection il gives the employer in the
possession of his property. free from
intensiOns. Ii gives him the right to
manage his property in accordance
with his own wishes and interests.
The exercise of these rights by the
single employer or BY the corporation
has resulted In wonderful achieve
ments. Nowhere are the material ac-
complishments of the individual as
great as those OF the American invent
or, producer. distributor and capital
list By his industry, foresight and
willingness to spend his own capital in
the service OF industry. he has reduced
the cost of production from 100 to 80
per cent. Five men can now do the
work that formerly required or 10.
Then the individual enterprise of the
capitalist has added to the prosperity
OF the whole community. The men
who work for wages have also gained
the most In twenty years through
the combination of capital into cor
porations the number of steel and iron
establishments in the U. S. decreased
by 400 while the number Of wage earn
ers increased by so per cent and their
wages increased by 100 per cent. This
is only one detail out of many asses
sable ones that remind us of the truth
that workmen employed by large cor
porations are. contrary to general
opinion, better of than those employ
ed by small corporations.
These advantages of higher wages.
steady employment and patronage OF
large capital and credit have been Sc
cured by the employer to the employee
through industrial liberty through
that protection which the state has
given the individual to own and man
age his property free from molesta
ton.
Now the fundamental attitude of
Labor Unions toward these capitalist
benefactOrs is that of enmity. They
entertain cold, distrustful. unkindly
spirit toward the employer who is re-
garded as a disguised enemy. Every
advantage must be taken of his misfOr-
tune, not the slightest favor shown
him on any occasion. Labor Unions
are founded on the assumption that
their members are not obtaining their
Just dues, an idea which is erroneous
| do not wish to uphold the side of
the employer as against the employed.
1t may or may not be true that in some
cases employees are entitled to niger
rewards, very likely they aught to re-
reive something more and the same
may be said of the sellers of raw ma
terials, transporters and that the gem
eral consumers should get better
terms. But if it were always true that
the Industrial Corporations were max
ing immense profits. it does not follow
that the employee is entitled to larg-
er share of these profits. Suppose that
corporation has made its gains by
robbing consumers, it does not follow
that the employee is justified in re-
lieving the company of a quantity of
it's plunder. Workmen simply say in
seeing or imagining that they see a
great amount of profits arising before
the manager, behold this great pile
of profits. they belong to u.s." Now this
idea adopted into practice is lawless
ness. That seeking to take the con-
troll of business and property from
the responsible owner is illegal
Should the hand that works have con-
troll over the mind that plans and di-
rects? Such an encroachment upon
personal liberty is industrial lawless-
ness. 1t is tyranny. Moreover, if the
demands of strikers be granted, the
power of the Union is recognized and
thus strengthened. Its ability to wage
affective warfare is increased. But
such warfare is conspiracy, anarch-
ism
OF equal importance with the pro-
lection afforded the employer by in
dustrial liberty, is the confirmation
given the workman in his right to
work. when, for what or for whom. But
do these rights really exist in our
country. either among the unionists
or the non-unionists? The labor un-
ions control the institution. In the
first place they drive as many as pos
sible into the labor organizations,
while persecution is extended to those
remaining outside. Then force is
brought to bear upon both union and
non-union to help make strikes effect
i've. By the use of the boycott and
every means known to human cruelty
the labor unions augment their ranks
from the list of honest workmen In
deed it may be said that if in forming
unions the leaders mad confined them
selves to honest and lawful methods
very few unions would have been
formed in this country. Why? Be.
cause the great body of workmen
have seen no clear reason for forming
them. If they had. the harsh methods
used to force them to join would have
been unnecessary Men who renal,
outside OF the organization are at /
great disadvantage. Their field of lab
or is limited from the fact that un
ionists usually refuse to work will
them. One local organization refused
even to continue work for certain
employer because he used in his sho)
IL.