The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-04-25

citizens who affect no interest in
the struggles of organized labor are
taken to task by the Capital Times.
This newspaper is not a trade
union publication, but its editor
fearlessly proclaims the trade union
theory of collective bargaining and
the advantage of high wages to
community that are only possible
when the workers unite.
"Do the people of Madison recog-
nize the Importance of the indus
trial struggle that is now going on
here to the community as a whole?"
asks this paper.
"The Capital Times believes that
the present contest is the fight of
every man and woman who really
believes in the welfare of Madison.
The case can be stated in few
words:
1.-THE real struggle here is
over the question of the recognition
of the principle of collective bar
gaining.
"2-United States Department of
Labor statistics proves that wages
are lowest where labor is the most
poorly organized; that wages are
highest where labor is most highly
organized.
"3-Where wages are low there
is more destitution, the community
vitality is lower, sickness is more
prevalent, children get less of nour-
ishment, crime figures mount high
er and there is less energy and life
and contentment in the rank and
file.
"4-Where the common people
have less money to spend the busi-
ness men do a smaller amount of
business. they lose more in bad
debts, a more inferior lot of goods
are bought, the savings are less.
"Are there any bigger commun-
ity problems than these for the
people of Madison to face? Are
there any bigger problems for Mad
ison business men to face?
"Is, then, the struggle that is go
ing on here one purely that con-
Germs the men who are out?
For years Madison has been in
the low wage area of the Middle
West
There was only one reason for
this. Up to the last few years Ia
Dor was poorly organized in Madl-
son. GAINESVILLE and Oshkosh are
other Wisconsin cities that were in
the same condition as Madison.
"Just how big a community asset
is 1t to have the Johnson's and the
Steinles rolling in wealth while the
masses of the workers are living
from hand to mouth? Viewed from
a purely sordid standpoint of dol
lars and cents, is this desirable
situation for our dry goods men and
grocers. for our theatre owners and.
shoe dealers, for the restaurant man
and the candy maker, for the real
estate man and the banker?
Decidedly not.
And let no one be deceived as to
the ntents and purposes of Madison
employers in the present contro-
versy.
Clever corporation lawyers may
write technical defenses for thelr
clients; the employers may call IN
the employees individually ana
promise them higher wages to stay
on the job; the employers may talk
of agitators and class hatred and
bolshevism as means to bugaboo the
men away from industrial justice.
But back of it all stands the one big
thing:
Madison employers are fighting
to continue Madison as low wage
town.
Let labor lose the present strike
and the employees will find that the
drift will be steadily back toward
lower wages; these men who are
now stabbing their fellow workers
In the back by succumbing TO the
lure of higher wages for staying on
the job now will find that wheh
the opportune time comes they 100
will pay the price in lower wages
for having sold out their brothers'
"The lessons of this war nave
evidently been lost on Madison EN-
ployers. They are still fighting ior
the old order. They still want 10
deal with the individual and brow
beat him into low wages ana lohs
hours. They fight solidarity among
he workers. They know that the