Denver labor bulletin., 1916-09-02
A Greater Denver and Trades
= Labor Assembly ~
As in So Labor
Thru Its Tearth GloHes Its Future
BY WILLIAM c. THORNTON, President

il now a well settled and recognized
rule OF everyday life. 1t is also a
foregone conclusion that in order for
Labor to reap to the fullest the fruits
of organized effort it must SO sol1dlfy
itself that it can as with one voice
backed by unified economic power
proclaim to the world its righteous
ideals and aspirations, and demand
that to which it is fairly and justly
entitled. 1t is fully as necessary for
union of a particular craft to ally
itself with the unions of other crafts
as it is for the individual worker to
ally himself with his fellow workers.
For, if the individual worker has not
sufficient economic power to success
| fully demand that to which he is fair
ly entitled, the individual union has
not the economic power to success
! fully demand of the state or munich
pality those general, fundamental,
basic rights which should belong to
all free men, but which are so often
withheld. So, by virtue of the fore
going rules of economic necessity
there has arisen in nearly every city
in the country, a virile, militant cen
tral organization of labor of which
the Denver Trades and Labor Assem-
,, bly, is but a shining example.
1t is the purpose of the Denver
Trades and Labor Assembly to gain
for the workers of Denver by con-
structive effort, working conditions
which will be as near ideal as Is
POSSIBLE to attain; to stand first, last
and always for that which is right
and just to instil into the minds OF
the laboring people a consciousness
of their political and economic power.
and to continue to develop that al
ready existent sense of justice which
will prevent an unreasonable use of
| that power.
Stands for Better Citizenship.
1t is affirmed that a well paid work
er, who tolls no more than eight
hours per day in a sanitary workshop,
or under sanitary conditions, makes
better and more intelligent citizen,
and standing as it does for the ideal,
the Trades Assembly stands for bet
ter citizenship, a higher standard OF
education and more prosperous COM
monwealth. 1t espouses and promotes
industrial peace, not "the peace that
passeth all understanding" but
peace born of the knowledge that
they who earn their bread in the
sweat of their faces" are toiling un-
der fair and equitable conditions. 1t
believes in arbitration when the mat
ter in dispute is a proper subject OF
arbitration, but it does not believe in
submitting to any tribunal for a de
cision, rights and liberties which are
the inherent birthrights of all human
beings 1t believes in conservative,
constructive, economic effort to bring
about a state of industrial democracy,
and refuses to be, or act as, an instru-
ment of any political organization, ism
or doctrinaire. 1t affirms that only
| in the workers themselves lies the
power to permanently improve their
condition of life, and disbelieves IN
delegating to any outside. power what
soever the rights, liberties and funda-
mental interests of the wage earners
1t earnestly advocates the patroniza-
ton of home industry, and above all,
those who operate under union condi-
| tons, of which the Union Label is
symbolical. For, it is submitted, by
patroniZing those firms which employ
union help it fosters those Industries
which cause the enhancement of the
| purchasing power of the workers and
results in prosperity for our city.
Personnel of High Standard.
| The personnel of the Assembly con-
sists of active workingmen and wom-
en- of the highest character and in
| telligenee, who have been selected to
1 represent their organizations in the
| Denver Parliament of Labor because
of their energies and abilities mani
| tested in the interests of the toilers.
| They are the picked men and women
| of the labor organizations of Denver,
| the cream as it were of the organized
workers. OF high standard of in
telligence alive and alert to the is
sues of the day, they are truly a body
Of men and women in whom implicit
confidence can be, and is, placed.
Every organization of human beings
fraternal, social, political or labor, has
| within its ranks certain individuals
who seek to use the power of their
organizations for their own personal
aggrandiZement; who, without con-
sideration of the dictates of con-
science, nor their own ultimate per-
sonal welfare, would sell not only
their own birthright but of those
whom they represent for a mess of
pottage. Labor organizations have
not been blessed by the lack of this
class of people. Unions are very much
like any other aggregation of human
beings the members thereof are sub
ject to the same emotions, impulses
and temptations as are the members
of any other kind of an organization.
Not All Are Impeccabe.
So let it not be forgotten that when
one or few individuals connected
with Labor SO far forget their own
ultimate interests and of those whom
they represent, by listening and heed
ing to the siren call of temptation,
that these same individuals would