The chronicle=news., 1914-07-24
THE REAL FOE TO uN1oN1sM.
CHoughton tMich.) Gazette }

| editor OF the Chicago Herald. Il,
has the nerve and the force and tn,
sumption to fight the crooked Iabol
grafters Of Chicago. He has under
taken an expose of the blackmai
business practiced by the men who
grow fat and get rich by straddlinl
the back OF honest laboring men
The labor grating In Chicago has
been. for years, n0torius. Graft ex.
tortion and blackmail have been q
feature OF every big construction jol
IN Chicago. Every contractor in Chi
cago has found 1t necessary in max.
ing bid on construction job to
figure III from 500 to 100000 as
a tribute to crooked agents OF the la
boring men. The grating has been
carried on at the point of revolver.
Threats of personal violence to the
man who refused to pay tribute to
the labor agitators were followed by
"bcatings" and assaults which went
unpublished and frequently un-
noticed. Many times the officials
refused to take action for fear OF the
political consequences that would be-
fall them If they did so. Many times
the men who were blackmaiicd or
slugged or beat refused to take ac-
tion because they feared further In
limitation in the way OF violence to
themselves or their families. They
figured 1t was cheaper and safer and
easier to keep quiet and pay the
tribute. Threats OF strikes were the
common method of effecting the
roldup. And 1t must be said, too,
that up to this time the newspapers
seemed to be afraid OF the situation
and anXions to cater to labor agents
who not only practiced criminality In
their dealings with the contractors
and builders. but likewise were the
worst enemies Imaginable OF honest
union labor because the average
union member would not believe the
stories of graft If they were told.
The Gazette knows something of
the dangers of the attitude OF Mr..
Kceley, and the Herald and some
thing OF the courage that is neces-
sary to undertake such fight in CHI
cago. But in exposing the labor
grafters the Chicago Herald is max
ing no war on union labor. 1t is In
reality lighting the battle for union
labor-a hattie that labor must fight
wherever the crooked business agent
has practiced blackmail and extor-
tion, wherever. the agitators have
used union labor as means to their
own personal advancement through
criminal methods.
When the copper country was
making its fight against the rcreign
labor agitators the Chicago papers
One Of them intimated to his friends
that he had to write the story OF
the situation as he saw 1t here to
please the Western Federation ayi-
tators for fear any other kind OF
story vf the case would put his pa
per in wrong with the labor crowd
in Chicago. Another was the kind
who could not be instructed in that
way. He wrote the truth about the
strike and told the blunt facts about
the crimes of the labor agitators In
this district. Within n week he was
recalled and his successor was half
baked socialist who did write diff
Chicago bosses thought would tickle
the fancy OF the allies of Moyer-Ma-
honey Miller and the rest in Chicago.
The change in correspondents was
made because the man who wrote the
truth was displcasing the lahor
bosses of Chicago. Therefore when
we see a paper like the Herald and
an editor like MIR. kcelcy taking the
bold stand lie is antagonistic to the
gang of blood suckers that feed off
of honest union labor in Chicago We
know that he is neither afraid of
personal violence nor afraid of the
political influence of that most in
fluential gang of Chicago graftcrs.
tie has no political favors to ask of
them and none to collect. lie can go
through with his program of attack
on the crooked business agents of
Chicago labor and win his battle be-
cause eventually the decent people
OF any community. including the
great majority OF union laboring
men, will stand back of him and will
repudiate the crooked criminals who
have utilized them for their advan-
tage.
When the Gazette told the truth
about the Western Federation agita-
tors there were many who doubted.
There were more who mated to see
such fight made in the open. There
were mary who sadly shook their
heads and refused to believe. But
the truth is coming out, in punches.