The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-01-27

that any class Of workers should be
blind to the value of unionism or
loath to suffer almost anything to
achieve it.
And what astonishing evidence of
the working class stupidity it woul5
be II the workers of this country
should without q fight allow their un-
ions to be crushed and their right OF
organization taken away by capitalist
legislatures and courts.
The value Of unity is so clear, the
gains fo y. those who have united are
so evident, and the necessity of. or.
ganization for all workers is so great
that 1t would seem that men, If they
have intelligence to fight for any.
thing, they would surely fight for
this. .'. -
A few men, weak and helpless, as
Individuals, can by unity become q
powerful force.
Unionism is the hope, tho only
hope, Of the working class.
individuals may go up CT down in
our present social system, but the
workers. as a whole can progress up
ward only through the exercise OF
unionism.
This is beyond all dispute, yet a
few of us have even begun to grasp
the great meaning, the value Of the
power OF unity.
Millions Of men here in America
do not yet dream of the immense
financial value of them of unionism
Less than 100000 men realize
the power Of unity in the shop.
And how few they are compared
with the rest of the workers in
America! Let us look at what unity
has done for them.
They have the shortest hours, the
highest wages, the best treatment.
They have hope, confidence; self
respect.
They have to an extent emancipat-
ed themselves. from subsection to in.
dividual oppressors, vile conditions
low wages and long hours; yet even
they, the most intelligent of the
working class, do not yet understand
the full power of unity.
Think what it would mean If all
men, women and children who toll in
this country should be bound togeth.
er in bonds Of perfect brotherhood!
Think what they could do in case
| OF a strike or a lockout or any diff.
| ference whatever with the powers
| that rule this world!
If they would all unite how quick.
| ly they could bring tyranny to its
knees!
OF course, the unity must be first
| of all and above all the unity of mer
in the shop, the mills, the mines an6
| the factories! ~:
| Every dollar Of that immense sum
that is spent for non-union goods is
spent to break down the unions.
When a str}ke.. is on, union men al
over the cduhtry= send their contribu.
tons to support the strike.
They do all n=tleir power to sup.
port their brother unionists when
they seem to be in trouble, but thu
| little strike which you aid here OF
there by contributions is nothing
| compared with the evil your millions
Of dollars do in supporting non.
| union. products.
When unionist spends $40 3
month buying scab products he il
trying with a great big hand to pull
down the unionism which his poor
! little dollar Of dues to his union is
| trying to build up.
When a union man gives a dolla,
a month to support his union he il
very proud of himself as goo6
unionist. He thinks himself phi.
lanthropist. I suppose he thinks tina
that miserable dollar a month will
build up a powerful trade unior
movement. But it never can while
he continues to put many dollars {
month into ten-cent stores and tn,
purchasing of the products of prison
and scab labor which is cutting tn,
very ground from under his union
Suppose every man of the 5000,
600 trade unionists in this countr,
considered it crime to buy prison
products or scab labor products; sup
pose the merchants knew that ever.
penny of the billion and a half dol
lars spent by these trade unionist
would be spent only for union goods
what would you see?
| Every store in this broad land pat
ronized by workingmen would hav'
a big union label over its door. Mer
chants wuld themselves advertise tn,
union label, and manufacturer
would produce union products ant
hire union labor or So bankrupt. I
union men bought right, they woult
not have to strike SO much.
That, brothers, is the power Of
unity in the small matter of spending
a weeks wage. The buying power o
labor, if exercised in unity, woul!
solve many of the problems of labor
Back of every union fighter, bacl
Of every strike: back OF every indus
trial battle woul: be the power o
100000 men: and the power Of
billion and half Of real dollars spen
each year.
/ Every dollar spent by. union labo
+! for union goods is money in, your owl
i pocket Think. Of that! I.
| kHyr7YA Nm