Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-10-16

aeas! it reflects an equal amount of
misund erstanding and misstatement
objectionable and almost unexplain-
able in one presuming to occupy the
place Of public speaker and adviser.
1t Is indeed a grave responsibility one
assumes who ventures to interpret the
policy and object of movement tina,
affects the desting of human beings
a responsibility that an honest or wise
man would not ignorantly nor lightly
assume. No public utterance which
touches the welfare of hun anity is Of
small concern. Misrepres entatien
Willful or otherwise, should not be per-
m1tted to pass uncha4enged.
Any consideration that might be due
to stranger within our gates Tom
Mann has forfeited by injecting his
presumptious superiority into the ma
tlonal movement of the Aemrican work
ers In the struggle they are making to
secure Justice for the toilers. Any con
sideration that might be due him as
fellow worker he has foregone by his
treachery in making common cause
with enemies of the workers. Any con-
sideration that might be due him as
man entitled to personal opinions or
individual convictions, he has foregone
by his deliberate and malicious peryer-
sion of facts.
Tom Mann had the 11ardihood to de-
clare, fI Chicago, that the American Ia
Dor movement is Labor Trust, and
that the American Federation of La
Dor has got far away from a sympa-
thetic understanding of the needs of
the great army of hometown, unskill-
| ed laborers." He further charged >that
instead of welcoming into its member
ship those who need the benefits of or
ganiZation, the Labor Trust draws a
sharp line excluding the unskilled"
To make such a charge is a serious
matter under any circumstances; to
make such chargesWith out justifca-
| tion is infamous. Amy one with any
knowledge of conditions among the toll
ers of America knows that the one
power that stands between them and
oppression, injustice and sheer brutal
| ity of employers is the Organized La
Dor movement-the American Fedora
ton of Labor. This is the power that
has secured to them better working
conditions, higher wagesfi shorter
fworkdays protection for life and limb.
Whatever has been gained has been
the result of the protests and the de-
mands of the workers in the trade
union movement. This spirit of pro-
tset against injustice, of constructive,
suggestive proposals for betterment,
has ever been the dominating spirit of
the American Federation of Labor. Up
on the hearts of the officers of that or
ganization has been borne in the weary
weight Of the needs and wants4of the
toilers. Upon them has been laid the
heavy Responsibility of bringing cheer
and happiness into the lives of these
people, nor have they ever failed in
their duties.
True there is much still to be done.
yet much has been DONE The Ameri
can Federation of aLbor has never de
luded those upon whom the burden
the worlds work has fallen with far
ciful, idealistic state of society or with
short cuts to Utopias; but the Ameri
can Federation Labor has said to one
and all: Join with us to get today ar
| increase. in wages CIR a reduction OF
one hour from the workday, or a clean
working room, and tomorrow we will
try for still greater benefits which thu
gains of today make possible of attain
ment. Our purposes have always beer
immediate, specific, possible, and what
| is more, crowned with success
1t is folly or worse to charge that the
American Federation of Labor Tex
cludes the unskilled." Even most su-
pericial investigation of our affiliated
membership will reveal numbers of the
so-called unskilled Belonging to our
federation are those who dig in bitches
an dtrenches hodcarriers, building la
borers, laborers in foundries and in
iron works, teamsters, bill posters,
freight handlers, mewsbaoys ond many
others.
i One of the earliest declarations of
the American Federation of Labor and
often reaffirmed without dissenting
voice or vote, was:
we reafirm one of the cardinal
principles of the trade-union movement
that working people must unite and
organize, irrespective of creed color,
sex or politics"
| In one o fthe circulars issued by the
Federation in millions of copies in va
rious languages, for general organiza-
ton purposes, the following declara-
! tfons of basic economic law are made:
THAT to maintain high wages, ali
trades and callings must be organized.
That lack Of organization among the
unskiHed vitality affects the organized
skilled.
THAT general organization of skill
ed and unsliHed can only be accom-
plished By united action.
Are these declarations not clear