The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-07-10
PRINCIPLE FIRST.
Folly For Union Men to Violate
Their Obligations.
SUFFER FOR DIsLoYALTY.
Grcedy Wageworker Usually Comes
Out at the Small End of the Horn.
Bats From Employers 10 Catch
Gudgeons-A Case In Point.

1
Gudseons--A Case In Point.
| There are many employers who de
vote q part of their time to concocting
schemes for shackling their employees
n order that they may be the more
timid, docile and subservient The
scheme most commonly practiced with
this end in view is that of selling a
| few shares of stock in the business to
| employees with the assurance that the
employer Is much interested In the vel
fare of his subordinates and wishes
them in this way to share In the prof
| its OF the industry. This plan is calcu
lated TO operate to the benefit of the
| employer In a double capacity-by In
1 ducing the worker to work harder and
| reducing his desire to engage in efforts
| for improvements in wages and work
ing conditions for all employees. 1t Is
| the endeayor in selecting the stockhold-
| ing members of the force to pick out
| those who are likely to WELD some in
| fuence upon their fellows and thus
\ DcISOdCc khCl4i Dy anu lSdi
to refrain from agltating or voting for
| improvements In their unions.
Just how this scheme works out for
the poor dupes Of employees was very
aptly illustrated in recent instance In
San Francisco. Two employee stock
holders stayed at work, just as the en-
ployers had anticipated they would,
| NJ ".
employers, after getting these poor
fools in as stockholders decided to con
duct an "open shop" establishment
and the union proceeded to tighten up
the screws even though the two men
had failed to respond to the strike call
The union interested has system of
mortuary benefits graduated according
to length of membership as well as an
old age pension system which requires
twenty years of continuous member
ship to qualify. Both of the stockhold-
ers were qualified for the $500 death
benefit and the old age pension of So
per week. Both were expelled from
membership thus forfeiting all bene-
fits. After eight days of struggle the
"open shop employers were com
pletely defeated by the union and en-
tered into an agreement to conduct q
union establishment and sacrificed the
two stockholder fools who had allowed
themselves to be misled by the soft
words and glowing promises of the
scheming employers.
They now realize that their unions
are worth a thousand times more to
them than are the empty promises OF
greedy employers 1t is Of course true
that the real unselfsh trade unionist
never gets caught in such a trap
because if q strike is called he goes
with the union even though he does
hold stock in the unfair concern. He
is willing to sacrifice the little the
stock would bring him rather than
betray his fellow workers by remain
ing at work in struck establishment
Not so, however, with the wageworker
who is just as greedy as his boss and
who only lacks the opportunity to be
come just as vicious slave driver
He gets caught in the clutches of the
dunn OF his own greed and is entitled
to very little sympathy because Of this
fact
1t pays always to be loyal to prin
ciple. The man who joins union anC
then violates his pledge of loyalty Is
not even respected by those who prof
by his disloyalty, because they fully
realize that a man who will betray his
fellows is not an honest man and viii
not hesitate to betray and defrauC
them as soon as the opportunity or
fers. 1t is because employees have 81
often demonstrated this truth that W.
marvel that even the greed of wage
worker can at this late day drive hin
to commit such a blunder as to remain
in the employ of an unfair firm wheI
> his fellow workers have gone out il
the interest OF fair dealing. But j
does seem the more some people ar
humbugged the more easily they arr
taken in by the crafty manipuators
who use their crooked heads for th'
purpose OF acquiring the FOOLS money
. | They seem always to anticipate tina
they will fare better in the next be
trayal and thus become easy prey 70
all men who are without the element
of honesty and desire by hook or crool
to gain unfair advantage in the strug
gle for existence.
After all the warning the labo
movement has issued the trade uniol
member who gets caught in the meshe
, Of the alleged benevoiently incline'
!, employer is indeed to be ranked amon
! the stupidest of stupid and the easies
: Of the easy in the ranks of gulibl
: fools. To sympathize with such ma
is on a parity with weeping over tn
fact that vicious murderer has bee
: apprehended after killing an innocen
= victim for the few paltry dollars tha
q might be extracted from his pockets
One is as much entitled to pity as tn
other.--San Francisco Labor Clarion
Labor Men Honor Mitchell.