United labor bulletin., 1913-01-16


the Structural Iron Workers. not alone
the men adjudged guilty, but every MEM
Der of their union, condemnation ana
humiliation; many ready to wrap the
robes of sanity justice tightly about
them, lest contract defiie them, ready to
withdraw from these men every good
and uplifting influence, and to cast them
out to the mercy of whatever interest
might profit by their helplessness.
And as to these who counsel harsh
ness and deny mercy-are they the men
who have fought the fight in the world
of men and conquered without blemish
to themselves? Are they men who know
the world of work and toll. who have felt
or know the powers pitted against the
weaker elements, VINO have felt or know
the cruelty and heartlessness of the
world of profits, where men succeed by
climbing over and standing upon those
they have struck down and defeated? Do
these seif,appointed censors, so positive
and assured of their own virtue that
they hesitate not to Judge fellow-men,
really know this world OF toll and fight;
have they themselves been a part of it
and prevailed over it?
These men who are accused of doing
these grieyous wrongs, of waging war
fare dishonorable and reprehensihle.
thereby intiicting upon all the workers
trouble and heartaches-what manner
OF men are they. and what is their life?
Turn to the great cities whose growth
has been one of the striking character
istics of the past sixty years. In thdHa
cities marvellous structures seem to
stretch upward, almost touching the
cloudland, expressing the INFINITE ambi
ton of men-Structures overwhelming,
well-nigh unbelievable in conception and
execution, reaching upward twenty, thir-
ty-yea, more than ffty-stories, and
downward into the depths of the earth.
Or turn to the mighty, yet exquisitely
delicate, structures spanning rivers and
chasms, that the forces of civilization
may conquer every barrier-the bridges,
the great engineering achievements in
the heart of civilization or in the lone
places OF the earth. Watch one of these
constructions in the process OF erection
the iron skeleton as it rises skyward.
the frame about which building materi-
ais are to be gathered and fashioned. As
the girders and separate pieces are lift
ed into position. watch the workers NOV
on perilous. dangerous heights. securing
bolts and rivets. Watch the human
worker as he stands on an iron skeleton
of a building thirty stories up from the
earth's security and he lifts his head up
ward-there is nothing between him and
the vast, bare expanse OF the heavens.
AS he looks out upon the city. the handi-
work of his craft and his fellowworkmen
and down. down into the narrow passage
ways below, there tiny. specialize men
scurry to and fro, like ants occupied
with little plans and business. Then
ponder well-what manner of man is
this builder of our modern civilization?
He lives a bold. open life: his very
breath is danger and conquest"
In referring to the American Bridge
company. which alone was unable to de-
stroy the organization of Structural Iron
W orkers, the story of how the National
of labor's most implacable foe. the Ma
tional Manufacturers association. backed
by the United States Steel corporation,
declared war TO a finish upon the Struc-
tural Iron Workers union, was graphic
ally portrayed. concluding the narrative
as follows:
For six years the fight went on. All
of the forces OF organized society were
used against these men, subtle minds
were scheming and plotting that legal
authority and practice might aid in the
breaking of these men. You say that
these men resorted to forbidden methods
of violence, and even sacrificed lives.
You condemn their methods OF lighting
as elemental, brutal OF any of those
VINO are guilty, the condemnation Is
true; but l ask you, were the methods
used by the employers less deadly to
humanity and freedom? Do you think
that one side can play with the forces
of injustice and tyranny and not lead to
a defensive move on the part of the 9TH
er? Each will protect his own interests
would anybody else do that for himY
Indeed our very social organization
seems to be on trial And how little
does society understand. Even the Judge
who tried the case. smugly assured OF
personal responsibility. fatuously de-
clared that
The evidence In this case will CON
vince any impartial person that govern
ment by Injunction is Infinitely to bc
preferred TO government by dynamite.
THE worthy Judge had blindly chanced
upon one of the causes, but had failed
to realize casual relationship. The words
TO him were simply conventional cpl.
gram. He does not know that there IL
a law OF life just US immutabie an tho
law of grayitatiou. of attraction and re-
pulsion; law OF life which meefa Tyr
amy and Injustice by Resistance. Tho
the unwarrantabls char.
aeter OF this utterance OF tho Judge