The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-02-02
LABOR LAST YEAR
Faithfully Strived For the Better
ment of Mankind.
AIDED THE WEAK AND NEEDY

Record of Trade Unonism Shows No
Diminution Of Its Efforts to Help the
Oppre ssed-Stands For Truth, Justice
and Benevolence.
During the year 1911, notwithstand
ing bitter assaults from without and
heartbreaking disappointments from
within its ranks, the labor movement
has kept its spirits up and its hands
clean. 1t has nothing to apologize for,
nothing to hide, nothing to evade
Throughout this year, as in many that
have gone before it, organized labor
has faithfully striven to do its whole
duty to mankind 1t has championed
the cause of the oppressed and the
downtrodden, provided for the suffer
ing and the needy, helped to hold up
hands too weak for their burdens and
aided in infusing some light and hope
and joy into hearts aching from un-
remunerated toll and unremitting in
justice. 1t has clamored for better
conditions of labor for the toilers,
greater comforts in their homes, wider
opportunities for self improvement
and full recognition of its adherents as
men and women with immortal souls
in their bodies And for these things
1t has marshaled all its forces in de
termined warfare against its oppres-
sors.
What it stands for is what the Cos
pei teaches-"peace on earth. good Will
toward men" 1t seeks to lift the
masses of mankind to a higher level
and in this way do good to the whole
human race Against the cruel hand
of heartIess industry, which sacrifices
the lives of countless thousands to its
inordinate greed: against arrogant jul
dicial power. which treats workers as
dumb. driven cattle: against the inso-
lence of caste and privilege, which
look upon the laboring class as nee
essary evil and deal with it according
~. it raises its voice and arms itself.
and against these only. All that is
good and righteous and elevating
among men has its cordial approval
and energetic support.
Selfshness never poisons its well
springs of action; ease never ener-
Yates its vitality; love Of display never
beclouds its vision; much learning new
err makes it mad 1t speaks from the
great heart of humanity. and its in
stincts are true, its purposes are lofty.
| its words are wise. 1t holds firmly to
fundamental principles of truth. jus
| q. IL t., Il We,
right, as great thinkers who are them
selves true at heart realize and ac-
knowledge. Not long before his death
Mr.. Gladstone, the renowned English
statesman and sage. said. II painfully
reflect that in almost every great politi-
cal controversy during the last fifty
years the leisurcd classes, the educated
classes. the wealthy classes, the titled
classes, have been in the wrong" The
corollary from this is inevitable. The
common people, the toilerS, the men
and women of uncommon sense, must
have been right.
| The triumpls for its principles, the
betterments for its members. the vic
tories over unreasonable opponents, the
progress in good works organized labor
has won during the year now closed,
need not be recounted here. They are
parts of imperishable history, written
enduringly in the records Of all right
eousness. though they may appear but
family in the chronicles of men. They
are known to trade unionists, too. and
are sufficient to lift up their hearts and
nerve their arms for greater efforts in
the year just before us Minneapolis
| Union Advocate