The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1916-11-11
The Ideals of Labor
An Interesting and Instructive Article By John p Frye,
Editor of The Molders' Journal.

consist OF nothing more than higher and
higher wages, shorter hours Of labor,
more and more control, and additional
rules and regulations affecting employ
ment
Perhaps the ideals which have guided
the trade union movement OF our cOun-
try are not generally known to the pub
lie because trade unonists have been
busily engaged in working for their at
tainment rather than in crystallizing
them into set phrases.
In discussing Labors ideals, or the
ideals OF any other group, it must be
borne in mind that human activities are
influenced by more than one motive and
that it may be possible to lose sight OF
the ideals which have influenced men
because IT appears that other motives
also actuatcd them.
We Justly honor and approve OF the
ideals oi freedom and independence
which influenced the American colon
ats and inspired them during the period
doubt some OF those who were genu-
inc patriots did not lose sight OF the
broad acres they might be able to Sc
cure should the effort for independence
succeed. or the public office which they
might hold. These motives, however,
if they existed, did not necessarily dim
the high ideal for which they rIsilcd
their fortunes and their lives.
1t Is my desire to convey an under
standing OF what undcrlics the efforts
and tendencies of trade unonsm so
that you may discover the ideals which
guide organized labor and influence it
more profoundly than anything else.
Humanity IS under heavy obligations
to trade unlonism because OF the ideals
which ii has established, and in particu-
lar our country owes a debt OF graft
tude TO the trade union movement OF
England for the special service it rend-
cred to our nation during the darkest
days OF the Civil War
The instance | have in mind, unfor-
tunately, like many other great deeds OF
organized labor, has been passed over
lightly or remained unmcntioncd by our
historians.
1t will be remembered that, early in
the Civil War, cotton was declared a
contraband OF war by our government
and that this action proGhccd iar-reach-
ing results in the cotton spinning and
weaving industry OF England.
A the war progressed, mill after mill
was forced to shut down and thousands
OF cotton operatives we're thrown ont OF
employment.
English bankers and mill owners
united in demanding that the British
Cabinet should recognize the bcllger-
cncy oi the Confederate States, and all
Oi the methods which capital can set in
motion were utilized to bring pressure
upon the British Cabinet The plea was
made that Britain'S great cotton indus
try would be destroyed, the invested
capital lost and labor suffer as never
before.
1t was known that the British Cabinet
was divided upon the question and in
time blockade runners anchored in the
Mercy, their holds filled with contra
band cotton. Had the government per
mittcd the unloading OF this cotton, il
would have been forced to recognize
the belllgcrcncy OF the Coniedcrat,
States.
1t was at this time that English trad,
unonists declared themselves so def
nucly and SO dctcrmincdly that the Brit
tsh Cabinet hcstated and finally, in fac
Oh rising public opinion, determined {,
continue its refusal to give recognition
To the southern bclligcrcnts.
From the beginning OF the Civil War
the British unions had taken lively in
terest IN the principles involved. The
recognized that one OF the vital ques
uons was that OF the freedom OF Labor
Mass-mcctlngS were called Throughout
the land at which the question was dis
CuSScd
one oi these, a masS-mceting OF trad
unions, held in ST. James Hall in Lon
don, was addressed by John Bright an,
lew lines from his OratlOu will helm II