The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1912-10-03
Third TERMER'S
JOKE ON LABOR
BrandeIs Shows Right TO Or
ganlze Is Not Recognized.
THE PLATFORM is SILENT.
Noted Lawyer Exposes the Finishes
of Promises Made to Workinsmen by
Perkins and His Candidate, Who
Stands For Private Monopoly.

of Promises Made to Workinsmen by
Perkins and His Candidate, Who
Stands For Private Monopoly.
'The new party pledges itself to So
cial and industrial justice and specific
ally to work increasingly for effective
legislation locking to the prevention Of
occupational diseases, oveCwork, 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 it offers is 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
workingmen 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.
THE new party stands for the per-
petuation and extension Of private
monopoly in industry-that private
monopoly from which the few have
ever prof1ted at the expense of the
many and for the dethronem8nt of
which the people have, in the past,
fought so many valiant battles. That
cursed product Of despotism, the new
party, proposes to domest<cate in our
republic. proclaiming we do not fear
commercial power Certainly organ
lied labor has had experience with the
great trusts which should teach all
men that commercial power may be 80
great that 1t is the part of wisdom to
fear it."
The above declaration was made by
Louis D. Brandels before the conven-
ton of the American Federation of !
Labor, MasGachusetts-stat branch, at |
BskSHS@aN NAhAW.
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 IT 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.. Brandeis 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
of organized labor from
heir factories the very foundation
stone of their labor policy. The abili-
y to defeat labor's right to combine
seems to have been regarded by the
rust magnates. as a proper test of the
ion"
Mr.. Brandeis shows that in 1899,
Turing the Colorado smelters' strike,
he American Smelling and Refining
closed its mills where the
trikers had been employed and trans
erred the work to other mills, thus
,reaking the strike. The United States
'teel corporation had similar success
q 1901 with the Amalgamated Asso-
iation of Iron and Steel Workers.
lad the association been dealing with
employers the result would
ave been different. The United States
teel trust was prompt In introducing
his plan. June II, 1901, six weeks
fter 1t began its operation, its execu-
we committee passed this vote. which
yas offered by Charles Steele part.
er of George W. Perkins In the firm
]. P. Morgan & Co:
THAT we are unalterably opposed to
ny extension of union labor and nd.
Ise subsidiary companies to take firm
ositlon when these questions come up
nd say that they are not geingto rec
ynize ,it-that Is. any extension .Of nm
n in mills where they do not NOW
Iist."
Union Men Not Wanted.
The result was that the bulk OF
merican union laboring men in the
on and steel industry were made IL
lderstand that they were not wanted
the works of the United States Steel
rporation. Places once filled by
laborers loyal to their unien
ere given to others. and. as the Stan
y committee found. "Hsrdes Of In.
'rers from southern Europe poured
to the Omitted States"
ence about 80 per cent of the un-
illed laborers in the iron and steel
Isiness are foreigners of these classes.
e profits going to the steel corpora
N. Mr.. Brandeis declared that "the
and continuing result OF
e steel trusts triumph over organ