The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-09-29
Minnesota TRADES UNION
DRY LEAGUE IS ORGANIZED
At Meeting nDu|uh Attended By Representative Labor Men;
Will 1--we Liquor |nfIuenc From Labor Movement.

"A new angle in organized labor's
activities was projected in Duluth
this week when at a meeting of a
number of union labor men from
various sections Of the state the
Minnesota Trades Union Dry league
was formally organized.
Inspired by State Senator Richard
Jones of Duluth, one Of the ablest and
most virile labor advocates and CAM
paign organizers in the Northwest,
representatives of local Trades Union
Dry leagues quietly gathered to per-
feet state organization.
That organization, significant Of
the trend of the times and resenting
the sinister influence of the few
unions associated with the liquor
business, boldly announces it's pro-
gram as 'the driving of the liquor
interests from the organized labor
movement" and purposes to wage an
aggressive campaign throughout the
state to accomplish that end.
It is comparatively only a few
years since the liquor interests Of
the United States, beginning to feel
the pressure of an auragonistic pub
lie opinion, insinuated itself into the
ranks of organized labor. Up to that
time it was either arrogantly indif-
ferent or actively opposed to the
principle of collective bargaining by
workingmen, because the natural af-
filiation of the liquor manufacturer
is with the most offensive type of
predatory capital. Suddenly, how-
ever, the brewers anu distillers of the
country awakened to the fact that
here was a tremendous force that
would be worth cultivating. This
force, hitherto neglected, made up of
men in every form of industrial life,
with a potential voting strength of
hundreds Of thousands. must, in the
very nature of things, WELD an enor-
nous influence. Why not be the
beneficiary of that influence?
Accordingly, all the machinery of
the liquor business from the great
distillery and brewery with their mil
lions of capital to the most sordid
alley saloon, was devoted to fostering
the tolerance, if not the good will,
Of organized labor. First and FORE
most, perhaps, was the encourage
ment given their own employees to or
ganize unions and become affiliated
with central labor bodies, from local
trades assemblies to state and ma
tional declarations, and very soon the
brewery workers, bartenders and
others employed in various depart
ments of the business began to have
thriving organizations. Large dele
cations of them began to appear in
labor conventions of all kinds and
with generous expense allowance for
entertainment purposes they quickly
achieved the reputation, especially
dear to younger men, Of being good
fellows.
Thus the personal and social sides
were wisely cultivated and it was not
long before it's effect was noted. Anti
prohibition - resolutions, through
plausible appeals to delegates from
other unions not to encourage the
throwing of their brother bartenders
or brewery workers out of jobs, soon
began to appear. If cajoling was not
sufficient, political. and parliament
tary maneuvering of the most devious
kind was often resorted to to pass the
desired resolution.
Naturally this state Of affairs has
caused the most profound dissatis-
faction among a large body of union
men who not only object to having