Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1920-12-17

tEttnAAs e9tlpdtneAtC human Ieeanf
for the resi- OF the human family
but. into the bargain for the sale OF
their labor on the part OF the work
ers. also enters the question Of the
hours of labor and II some work longer
hours than they should. they not only
suffer an injustice personally. but
others viii not have any work at all.
and will be thrown in competition
with those who have Jobs. TO keep
down the price of their labor. and
make their means OF getting a liseli-
hood for themselves and their loved
ones that are dependent on them. pre-
carious. insecure and uncertain
compel them TO leave their families
from time 10 time. hunting for Jobs,
with their families not in good circum-
stances. with the mental suffering and
anguish that comes from the uncer-
tainty as to what is happening 10
them IL also determines whether or
not the conditions they work under
will be safe. or whether they will be
angereus--whether or not they viii
be killed or injured unnecessarily.
During the period In which our
country was at war. Notwithstanding
the fact that possibly the most Ell.
cient methods OF slaughtering human
beings that was ever devised were
used by the opposing armies and
navies in open warfare. more mea
and wemen were injured and killed
unnecessarily in industry during that
same period OF time in the United
States than what there were killed
and wounded. or who died OF disease
as result of the war.
The reason for this is that IL the
employer has the power TO, and com
pels the workers to work in dangerous
conditions. he saves and gets for him
self tunless Il is absorbed In eompeti-
tion with his competitors) whatever II
would have cost To make those condi-
tions safe, and II II is absorbed in
low selling price. due TO competition.
II usually means that all OF these In
dutries are working on that basis OF
unsafe and dangerous conditions for
the workers and that means their
being slaughtered and injured un.
necessarily every day.
This is also true of occupational
disease. Hundreds and thousands of
men and women are poisoned with
foul air. poisonous dust and gases. and
weakened. so that they become tuber.
cular, asthmatic, etc. Hundreds of
thousands of them become helpless.
unable to work and snffer physically
and mentally, become objects OF char
ity and they die many years before
the time they would have died. had
they been able to work under health
full conditions
This Ia true mainly because Ii the
employer forces the werterx. 10 work
in those unhealtlfuf conditions, he
saves and get for himself. what II
would have cost to have given them
pure air and healthful sanitary condi-
tions under which to work.
And because human being has
that kind of element in ii, that dis
tinguishes 1t from an animal. because
they are self-respecting, intelligent
men and women. they cannot without
losing that self-respect. permit them
selves to be ordered and driven as
animals. And the only way they can
secure protection for themselves In
those respects. is by having an organ
ization strong enough to require that
like human beings.
."And so, when a worker bargains
with the employer who buys it, to
sell his labor, he not only determines
what kind of. and the amount of food
and clothing that he will wear-the
kind of a home he will live in--the
kind of comforts, pleasure and recre-
alton he and his family will have
whether or not they will have books
and music and what kind of books
and music they win have. whether
they will have time to take advantage
of books, newspapers, magazines, and
whether or not he will feel mentally
or physically like enjoying them, and
what there will be in life worth liy-
ing for himself and his family--the
chances there will be for their little
girl or boy. but whether or not he will
have a job at all times--whether he
Is going to be killed or injured or In
fected with disease unnecessarily
whether or not he will be treated like
a selfrespecting, descent human be-
ing, or like dog or other animal.
And the only possible way that he
has to protect himself in these mat
ters is through his own intelligence
and the strength that he develops by
associating with his fellows and their
fighting resources. The only possible
thing that can do this for the work
ers, is an organization. He must
either have that. or he is compelled
to submit absolutely to whatever the
organized employers such as the Steel
Trust, Railroad Trusts. Coal Opera
tors Association. Lumber Trust. Ship
ping Trust. Erectors' Association, the
Sweat Shop owners or other employ
ers. hacked by the National Chamber
of Commerce OF the United States, tell
him he must do.
"AT past human history leaves no
room for doubt but that If the worker
is helpless and has no organization,
that they will put him on a plane
lower physically than the animal, and
that his mind and that of his family
will be trained and nodded TO suit the
wishes of the employer from the point
of view of making an obedient sub
servient, willing work animal in his
plant or institution.
And il he is 10 have an organiza-
tion at all on the kind OF a basis that