The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1914-05-23

iT1.sl.S
DEBS ASKS MINERS
TO QUIT OF l..
Continued from rsse !.
their powers 70 save themselves from
annihllation. &. e..
II shall lose no time.in coming to
the point. This is a time for plain /
speech and decisive action. The min I
ers are the key to the situation. 1t ID |
in their power in this crisis to effect |
or thwart the Industrial: rganization |
Of the. American workers Their |
prompt and decisive action. or lack Of |
action, as 1t may prove. will. advance !
or set back the cause Of the workers
by at least ten years. $.
Knows the Miners.
For many years I have been in
close and more Or less active touch |
with the two miners, unions. have
acted as the organizer for both and
have been In the service of both at
various times, and knowing their
members as I do by reason OF having
been one with. them in their struggle, |
feel at liberty to speak to them
frankly in matters concerning their
we'll being. In this instance speak
from q deep sense Of duty; Having
closely followed recent developments
I feel moved to say, in the face Of the
approaching crisis, that now is the
time for the two miners unions to be-
come one: now the psychological hour
to effect their consolidation. Delay
may be dangerous. Prompt action is
the demand. :.
There u.s. not, a shadow of doubt
that an overwhelming majority OF the
members Of both. unions favor consol-
1dation. II 1t were put to q vote to-
day it would be practically If not alb
solutely unanimous. Then. why: de-
lay action SO supremely important and
OF such far-reaching consequence to
the whole labor world? Away with
formality and red tape! There IL no
sense In waiting two years to do what
can be done In sixty days, ninety days
at the outside. :: Let the initiative be
taken from both sides at once and
pressed to an ISSUE. The main ques-
ton can be decided by referendum
andsa jotntcommtttee can arrange de-
tails. .-. Ia.
Consolidation iseLogical.
'The consolidation of the miners is
the logical answer to the coal barons
Of Colorado and the ore magnates of
Michigan: it is the strategic move for
the miners to make In the present
situation. It's effect will be mutually
inspiring and solidifying and 1t will
have the added merit of making more
powerfully for the general Industrial
| organization OF the workers than any
other initial step, that could be taken
at this time. - =:
| This action on the part of the min
| ers would mark the actual beginning
of a revolutionary industrial organiza-
ton I'M the United States, the crying
need for which comes to us from ev-
cry battlefield where = workers are
struggling and dying for the cause.
theirs are languishing. and from every
wretched howell where wives and chill
dren are suffering tho :pitiless cruel
ties Of wage slavery :. -, y :: :. ::
workers divided are workers de-
feated and degraded: :: workers united
are workers Victorious and respected.
Graft untonism today means class
disunionism. -. -
! where there is craft: division
there: can be- no seiass unity -:
GA: #. OIL. OutHved Usefulness.'' :-
THE American Federation .of La
Dor, an aggregation r.of craft unions;
has outlived; its usefulness. The; min.
ers of Michigan and Colorado know: II
now If they did mot know IT. before
In their desperate. extremity in both
these states. the miners were left to
fight their battles alone +. 80 far as
Gompers, and his executive council
were concerned. The help. received
from this source in return for the
thousands Of dollars collected for pei
capita tax amounted to 80 contempt.
bly,. little as to be nothing more than
a CHASTITY joke that should excite the
disgust and resentment Of every t1t1-
ion man with an ounce. Of brains. :,
".Gompers himself, admitted (and
pleaded as an excuse In his own be:
half) that a two-cent assessment for
the benefit of the striking miners in
Michigan would break up, the Fedora
ton, This is enough, Not. another
word need be added. Duncan Melon.
aid was right. TheFederation Is dead
so far as any usefulness to the work
: ing class is concerned, Any fedora.
ton that q two-cent assessment would
Dust an assessment to support
members fighting for their lives and
for their starving wives and children
IL BY its own confession not even a
two-cent federation and does not, de-
serve to live. ~: :. .... ...s.. ;.
t"rhe miners have absolutely moth,
Ing TO- gain and all: TO- lose: by remain:
Ing tied up with that aggregation OF
reactionary elements. Some time age
they pulled Mitchell out Of the Civic
Federation ana now time -zhas
come to pull their union out Of the
Civic Federationized American FEEDER.
alton of Labor. ass5i ~ 3
Remembers X. Of Il.
T. "Gonpers and his cohorts cam tnot
:; complain If now they get what they
gave TO the Knights Of Labor some
: thirtysyears ago. They Withdrew ffom
! and turned agaansst that ORGANIZATION
. when 1t had outlived its usefulness
i and now :th sd I'll AA1haricau Fedora,