The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-01-05


defatigable worker in the betterment
of the conditions of working women,
made the following ringing talk at the
convention of the Federation of Cath
olic Societies:
81 shall take advantage of this won
derful gathering of women of the
Catholic faith from all parts of this
great country to say few words in
behalf of the thousands of women
wage earners toiling from morn to
eve, very many of them for wages
utterly inadequate to live up to the
ideals of American womanhood.
"In discussing this great economic
question it will be necessary to touch
upon the wonderful work accom-
plished by the trade union movement
in it's effort to uplift the thousands of
women wage workers.
81 wonder how many of those at
tending this great convention fully
realize the achievements of trade
unionism as it applies to the women
in industry. Search the records of
your various state legislatures, an
alyze the records of our national
legislature, you will not find humane
labor law enacted by those legisla-
lures which makes for the betterment
of the conditions of the women work
ers, whether it be in the shortening
of the hours of their toll or their pro-
lection against exploitation, that did
not have it's beginning in the minds
and the hearts of the representatives
of our trade union movement and who
on every occasion bore the brunt or
the battle in securing its enactment.
'The destiny surrounding our lives
leads us into different channels. Born
of humble parents compelled to go to
work at an early age, l soon discov-
cred there were many wrongs to be
righted in the industrial life of those
who were my associates in our daily
toll. | soon satisfied myself that these
wrongs could not be righted by indi-
vidual effort. l studied to the best OF
my ability the various movements on
foot whose object was proclaimed to
be the emancipation of the toilers
from the unjust economic conditions
under which they were compelled to
labor. They went under the names
of various 'isms;' some of them were
attempting to accomplish this task in
"a hours and are still preaching the
gospel, but up to the present time they
have never done a single thing to
better the conditions of the workers.
Their chief motto was to turn the
whole society upside down in order
to get it right side up. Any one with
the least atom of brains could easily
see that this was an impossible doc
trine and could not be accomplished.
There was the one ism,' however that
appealed to my mind very strongly,
that was Trade Unionism.' Its pol
icies were, and are today, collective
bargaining on the industrial field, a
demand of the workers for their right
full share in the profits their labor
created. l discovered it had accom-
plished things along practical lines
and therefore decided to become part
of this great industrial force that had
done so much and is doing so much
today to raise the standard of condi-
ton of the toilers and more particu-
larly THE WOMEN IN INDUSTRY.
81 have never regretted the choice
made. The trade union movement
has thrown it's protecting arms
around the women and children in
industry, protecting them from the
exploitation of that part of capitalism
which knows no restraint in it's in
satiable greed for profits.
81 have always tried to express my
thoughts and opinions openly, frankly
and honestly, and it is my opinion
that the trade union movement, in it's
effort to tighten the burden of the
toilers of our country to prevent the
exploitation of women workers and
the elimination of child labor is not
today receiving the support that l
have always felt it was justly entitled
to. My sympathies are with those
who toll and are oppressed because
am one of them.
81 firmly believe that the words
uttered by the great statesman, Will
liam Ewart Gladstone, was gospel
truth when he said; The trade unions
are the bulwarks of democracy
organized labor makes no war on
vested rights. 1t has no fault to find
with honestly acquired wealth. 1t is
not antagonistic to legitimate capital
1t stands for equal rights to all ant
special privileges to none. If capita