Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-11-18

people say that l am a Bolsheviki.
don't know whether l. am or not be-
cause l don't know anything about
Bolshevism, or the l. w. w. l !dt
know that | am for this country anc
that the Bolsheviki and l. w. w. are
said to be opposed to this country.
am for Democracy. They say that the
war was fought for Democracy-to
make it safe. That is what l am
fighting for now-for Democracy fol
you; to give you a fair chance, just
wage, square deal. What this Boil
shevlsm is l do not know; but l dc
know that it is on record in the war
department in Washington that certain
American soldiers refused to fight the
Bolsheviki.
Unionism of textile workers is in for
a bad fight at the hands Of cotton mill
owners. All kinds of pressure will be
brought to bear upon you. For while
you will be subject to all kinds OF
persecution and prosecution, ever as
|
YOU in the south. Until recently l was
steward in the Methodist church in
Charlotte. l was not perfect man.
Like all other men l have my faults.
But until l became active in textile
unions / was in good standing in the
Methodist church. After l began this
work l noticed n coldness on the part
of my brother officers and brother
| members, some Of whom were either
mill owners or closely related to mill
owners in some way or other. 1t got
so l could feel an icy chill whenever |
went to church. Recently l was
dropped from the board of stewards.
That is all right. The Methodist church
is all right. 81 was in the right church;
but the wrong pew, that's ALL"
l have lost my social standing in
Charlotte as the result of my taking
up this fight. l used to practice law
| in Charlotte. When my brother
lawyers and other friends had social
entertainment of some kind l was US
ually invited to attend. But there
came a frost after I espoused the cause
of the textile workers. I have per-
fectly good dress suit and high hat
over there in Charlotte for which
have no further use. Old friends
amcng certain peoples are no longer
as close to me as they used to be.
The weather around 'em is icy. cold.
And all because | realize that the cot
ton mill workers are getting a raw deal
and because 1 see that in organization
there is a chance for them to keep
alive.
Touched on N. c. Politics.
The speaker gave his audience
glimpse into politics in the Ninth
North Carolina district and its relation
to textile unionism. have been
letting them think, he said, and also
talk it that am going to be a candi-
date for congress. ! am not going to
be a candidate-not yet. The Demo-
Gratis are going to nominate Clyde r..
Hoey, a corporation lawyer or Shelpy
as their candidate-a man who Is all
wrapped up with mill corporations and
who is pushing child labor legislation
! in North Carolina which will let your
| little boy and your little girl WORK IN
the mill and which | am sorry to say
some of you favor. have no criticism
to make of corporation lawyers except
to say that while it is all right for a
lawyer to represent corporations, q
corporation lawyer has no right to
hold public office because he is not for
it. Consciously or unconsciously he is
biased in favor of those corporations
and their interests.
Labor may come in on that race yet,
Jake Newell has the Republicans all
roped in and Hoey has the Democrats.
There are about 1000 union labor
voters up there in the district who
have faith in Marvin Ritch and who
may vote as Ritch says and you can
lust bet that Ritch is going to try TO
get them to vote for the man be ne
Democrat or Republican who is the
closest to labor. That will not be much
of a victory because neither candidate
is a labor man. In fact in all the con-
gressmen in Washington there is not a
single labor man.
[ tell you again to do just as you
please about organization here in this
town. | am not after anything out or
Won politically. ! live in North Caro-
lima. Collective bargaining is here to
stay. am in this fight because be-
licve that it is right and am going to
fight until the end regardless of conSe-
Iuucnccs. They say | am making money
out Of this thing. Since | have been
in this textile organization work have
received about $4,000 and my actua
expenses have been $4,000. That looks
like | am in it for money doesn't it;
don't want money. | don't want
political. power for myself. They say
we fought to make the world fl
place to live in. | am fighting this
battle to make the south fit place tol
mill workers to live in.
An average increase of II per cen
in the salaries Of Methodist ministers