The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-01-12
FOR HUMAN UPLIFT
John Mitchell on the Aims OF
Trade UnioniSm.
THE VALUE OF STRIKES.
Labor Battles, Even Though Lost, Tend
Toward the Moral Elevation of the
Masses-The Ideal of Organized La


Toward the Moral Elevation of the
Masses-The Ideal of Organized La
Dor Is the Advancement of All.
John 'Irhell, vice president Of the
Ameri IN Federation of Labor, was
tie s,e;l.cr at recent meeting of the
Sunday I h; conference of the Holy
Trinity church. Brooklyn. Mr.. Mitchell
said that he wished to change his sub
iect from The Moral Justification of
Strikes to 1.-The Purposes, Ideals and
Philosophy of the Trade Union Move
ment." He took that subject, feeling
that by the average man the object of
the trade union was often misunder-
stood.
"The ideal of the trade union" he
said, sis not to secure the advancement
of exceptional men. but rather the adj
vancement and uplifting of the masses.
In the olden days before the coming
of the factory system each household
produced what 1t needed for its own
consumption, and all the family toiled
alike Today man does not in many
cases consume all or even part of what
he produces All produce for all now.
The factory problem has given rise to
many diverse opinions, of which not
the least is the regret that the good
old days of home production have gone
by. For today we have the poverty of
the masses, the vast army of the I'M
employed and the housing in insanitary
conditions.
Trade unions were in existence even
before the time of Christ, and it is not
unnatural to suppose that the disciples
were members of some guild. The
usual business man does not see any
thing in the labor union but the desire
for shorter hours and for more pay.
He does not realize what those things
mean to the workingman. His old ana
fallacious idea was that more leisure
is more time for drunkenness or for
gambling, while the trade union coun-
sells rather the advancement of the in
tellect in the spare periods and the
moral uplifting of the home.
"a single workingman, ignorant of the
position, unless organized, to cope with
organized capital. The ideal of labor
unions will be realized when organized
labor. with an ample reserve fund and
a thorough understanding. meets or
ganized capita! on the same grounds.
Then will be made contracts which are
fair to both sides and then. and only
then, will the working man get his just
due.
1.-THE ideals of the trade unions are
minimum wage that shall enable the
workman to live up to American stand
ards; the eight hour working day, leg
islation against children engaging in
wage earning pursuits, prevention OF
accidents, making the employers liable.
and insurance in case of injury; sani-
tary working and housing conditions,
trial by jury. free speech and free
press.
"There is no phase of trade unionism
so much discussed and so denounced
as strikes A strike is only method
of bargaining, the result of the fact
that employers and employees cannot
agree as to contracts.
people say that the strikers lose
more money in q strike than they gain
in the advance of wages. Perhaps that
is true, but there Is great moral up
lift attached to strike, even though
it is lost The war Of the Revolution
cost US a great many times the price
of the tax on tea, yet there is not
citizen of the United States who is sor
ry that 1t was fought.
at is asserted that bloOdshed and
riot follow strikes. That Is true, though
it is grossly exaggerated. If thought
that riot and lawlessness were neces-
sary adjunct of strikes | would leave
the trade unions today. The church.
state and nation are not to be de-
nounced because of the sins of few
Mr. Mitchell closed his address by
saying that shorter hours had upifted
the housing conditions as well as the
moral atmosphere in which the work
ingman was forced to live. "The pur-
pose of the trade union is constructive,
not destructive"