The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-08-28
UPLIFT! THE MOTIVE
Fuller, Purer and Happier Lives
for ToiIerS Through the
Strength Of Organ
iZation.

HE climax of the spectacu,
III lar is the parade.
Tho elimination of the an
w. niversary or celebration is
the long train of marchers
rejoicing over victories. The most i'm
pressiye tribute to a Man 10 tho march
with him to his tomb.
Labor has victories to celebrate,
gains 10 rejoice over tribute to pay.
The work OF the labor movement has
been mainly along three lines: influ-
encing Of public opinion, Legislative
effort, and the direct Improvement OF
tho labor conditions Of it's members.
This last line of work has absorbed
most of its timo and energy, and it's
Isuccess has been gratifying, though
mot SO great as 1t might have been had
its efforts been directed against the
causes instead of the effects, writes
Henry Sterling. in Joe Chapple's News.
Letter.
Nearly every humane measure on
any statute book in any land Is the
outcome of intense. protracted strug-
gle. Each was suggested first by In.
boring men and women, generally In
labor union. Churches have pre-.
pared men for another world, but labor
unions have sweetened life in this.
The PRESS the politician, the court, the
philanthropist have all worked in their
own way for the upllft of humanity;
the unions have taken millions Of chill
dren from blIghting toll and sent them
to school, and that is the only effectual
means of uplift.
Low wages, and fear Of idleness and
want, drive men to long hours of labor
that exhaust them physically morally
and spiritually. Again. fear of losing
a Job induces n species of seryility, Il
submission to petty tyranny and exac-
tons. that is wholly foreign to a man.
ly spirit. Ready. prompt, cheerful
obedience to proper orders is virtue
that becomes Il man, but he whose
necessities compel submission to in
dignity and imposition is a pitlable OBJ
ject indeed.
Better wages, hours and labor con.
dltions are the things essential for a
better civilization. The union makes
no mistake when II demands them.
The unions have said that wages are
too low to live properly; the result is
an increase of a million dollars a day.
They said that tho working day was
too long, that we lacked time for ed
ucation or recreation. The hours OF
labor are being rapidly reduced, not
only for union men. but for all men.
The conditions. sanitary and other.
wise, under which humanity toiled, al
ways inhuman, often indecent La.
boris protest has brought about some
improvement, and promise of more.
Laws to protect labor, especially child
and woman labor, and to promote its
welfare, now fill volumes. Fifty years
ago a small pamphlet would afford
space for them all.
This year We have made provision
for the care Of every man injured at
his work, and for the support of his
family. When we consider that there
Is ut least one worker killed In Massa-
chusotts "a his labor every day, and
nearly two hundred injured. vo con-
celve that we have done great work
In assuring them against want.
These are some of the things which
we have accomplished and It Is fitting
that we should set aside day TO cele.
brate victories. rejoice over our gains,
and gather renewed strength ard
cheer for future battles.
But all these achievements are small
compared to one now becoming more
and more apparent. We are conquer
ing public opinion, awakening the con-
science of the people to the justice of
our demand for greater means, more
leisure aud better conditions of labor.