Denver labor bulletin., 1916-07-01
WHAT KIND OF LABOR
DO YOU EMPLOY IN The
PURCHASE OF GOODS?
A Question Asked of Union Printers
That Applies With Equal Force
to the Members of Other Labor
By F. E. MORRIS
Of Salt Lake City, in the typographical
Journal

ployers at one time, and l thought this
would be a good time to say few words
to you relative to the kind of men you
employ and the conditions under which
the goods you use were manufactured.
From study of conditions during the
past few years, l am convinced that
most of you are employing what is
known as non-union labor. That you are
rather careless and Indifferent as to the
wages these employees are paid and the
conditions under which they labor.
have noticed also that many of you en-
ploy convict labor in making your goods,
and some, l am sorry to say, even en-
slave little children, and you do it all
either thru carelessness or with view
to increasing your profits. Any body of
intelligent men should know that there
is no real profit in such labor, and all
should be too proud to have their con-
sciences stained with the stigma of be-
ing employers of little children, convicts
and cheap alien labor in preference to
the self respecting heads of our good old
American families. You seem to prefer
to take advantage of the immature and
the enslaved, and keep them drudging In
unremitting toll, while free able bodied
men decay in enforced idleness, beg for
bread or die in grief at the troubles of
their unfed, underclothed families, whom
they love dearly, and who might be pro-
vided with plenty, if you would but give
them their just share of your work.
Your Carelessness a Crime.
Others among you habitually employ
the cringing scab or non-union man in
preference to the manly, self-respecting
union man who dares to try to better
the conditions of himself and his wife
and children. / wonder how long you
will notinue to do this! How long
before your consciences will awaken, and
you will try to see to it that those you
employ are given conditions OF employ
ment enabling them to enjoy in a meas
ure the comforts and advantages you
havel
Many of you, 1 know, are unaware of
the deplorable conditions of the men in
your employ, and are rather thoughtless
of the suffering ones you should employ,
and whose load of sorrow you could lift
if you would but give the matter
tie of your attention. But whether thr.
or design, the deplorable
conditions you continue to maintain are
none the less crime. 1t is time you
awoke and gave attention to the charac.
ter of your employees; whether or not
you compel little children to slave away
their young lives; whether or not you
compel the unfortunate prisoners In
penal institutions to labor under unbear-
able conditions and for whose product
you pay but a pittance, none of which
reaches the workman; whether the con-
ditions you impose are in any way re-
sponsible for the downfall of the beau
tiful daughters of our American fam.
lilies.
Don't Shift the Blame.
Now, don't protest and say that the
indictment is unjust and untrue. Donr
try to shift the blame and say you are
not one of those referred to, for it IL
you l am talking TO more particularly
than any one else. You are the guilty
man, and it is high time that you re.
formed your ways, and abolished the de
plorable conditions which | have men
toned. Let in the sunshine and let the
children go out to play and romp.
Now, brother printers, don't go off
with the erroneous idea that I am mis-
taken in the gathering ! am talking to-
know this is not the United Typothe-
tae or any other aggregation of capital
lst employers. | am talking to the great,
broad minded, progressive international
Typographical Union, and mean every
word | have said. You are employers,
every one of you. Every time you spend
penny or more, you are giving employ
ment to some one. Is it not n fact that
you scarcely ever stop to inquire who
you are employing, or the conditions un.
der which they work. You claim to be
consistent union man and earn your
money under union conditions, and il
is your duty to see to it that no dollar
OF yours is given to the employment of
any but union men if possible.
Exercise the Magic Words.
You will rave, and storm, and howl
and fight, and even strike to get union
conditions for yourself; and when ap-
pealed to will give freely of your money
to assist Others to conduct fight for
better conditions, but will YOU Temem.
Der to say union label" when YOU
spend your money! Too often you will
not.
The only way you can make sure that
goods you purchase and use were not
made in sweatshop, tenement or prison,
or by non-union labor, is to see that
they bear the union label, which stands
for the highest ideals of free labor.
We will all fight valiantly for our
principles, then let us be big enough
and brave enough to live for them. 1t
is so simple, easy and natural for union
men to say union label" that it is as
tonishing that any can be found that do
not at all times have the two magic
words on their lips For they are magic
and have power that is so great IL is
almost beyond the comprehension of the
ordinary mind. Those two words are
possessed of all the magic power of the
almighty dollar.
Should Employ Union Labor.
While you are saying these words you
have in your possession the coin the
merchant is striving to get. He will
do anything honorable and many things
not so honorable TO get TINT dollnr.