The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1914-07-02
LABOR UNIONS DEFENDED.
Continued from Page i

ton under, the dntl-tfuSt law Was
being debated, Finley Gray sat list.
ening to the arguments being adj
vanced by various members as to
why the measure should be enacted
into law Finally he turned to a
member at his side, and said: Labor
unions should be excluded. But the
real justification for the proposition
has not been stated. In justice to
myself, l must state the reasons why
I intend to support the measure. .
Gray has not intended to speak
when he entered the chamber, but
Gray had sat quietly listening, he
had been deeply moved, He arose,
and his language and philosophy held
the close attention of everyone with
in the hearing of his voice.
"Mr. Chairman sail Gray, 'there
are certain rights which men take
along with the right to inhabit the
earth. Among those rights is the
right to labor This is more than
a so-called vested right in property;
it is natural, inherent right of man.
1t is as sacred to him as the right of
habitation itself. 1t is as vital to
his existence as the breath of life.
He must have the right to labor in
order to live.
And there are certain rights IN
which man is upheld in a supreme
and absolute defense, and in the
defense of which he is sustained even
to the taking of life-the defense OF:
self, the defense of his person., the
defense of his life, the defense of
those who by nature are entitled to
look to him for protection, and I in
clude the defense of the right to
labor in order to live and to support
those who are dependent upon him.
Mr.. Chairman, there was the
time when the laboring man was
more dependent in the exercise of
this right to labor to live than he is
today There was a time when
every man could say to his employer,
"If you don't wish my service, l will
go back to the crossroads, to the
village workshop, and I will make
a plow, a wagon, or carriage. l
will employ myself and I will sell
my product for my wages But this
condition of the laboring man has
passed and gone. A great industri-
al revolution has brought change
and a new order of things. The
'aboring man as an individual has
lost his opportunity to employ him
self, his power to claim his right to
labor to live. He can only work
when others choose to employ him.
And when he asks for employment
the answer comes beck and tells him
whether or not he can live. The
laboring man today finds himself
confronted with an organization of
employers; he finds himself confront
ed with a combination of capital; he
finds himself confronted with a con-
centration of industry and control of
emplOyment-all standing between
him and the right to labor to live
and to support those dependent upon
him.
This is the plight of the individu-
al laboring man of today. This is
his utter helplessness as a single in
dividual.
Under these new and strange in
dustrial conditions union is his only
remedy, his only relief, his only de-
Tense, his only hope he must have
the right to meet organization with :
organization. He must have the
right to meet combination with COM
bination. He must have the right to
meet concentration with contration
There is difference between a
labor organization and a trust !
, There is difference between labor ,
organization and a combination in ;
restraint of trade. There is differ
ence between labor organization
and a monopoly of the resources Of
human life. There is difference be-
tween an organization for a lawful, :
natural purpose, and an organization
for an unlawful and a criminal pur-
pose. There is a difference between
an organization to preserve and safe
guard natural inherent rights and
an organization to monopolize and
prey upon the vital necessities hat
sustain human life. There is diff
ference. between men organizing for
the lawful purpose of securing en-
ployment, and to claim the right of
all men to labor, to live, and to enjoy
the fruits Of that labor, and men or
ganizing as a trust, a combination
in restraint of trade. a monopoly to |
control the vital resources of human