The labor world., 1920-10-02
THE UNION SHOP.

4u6, ON4ON 011O1.
Let get down to brass tacks on
this thing we call the Union Shop.
What is it7 Is it a mere institution
to be established for the purpose of
giving labor union monopoly to
furnish employment to its members at
the exclusion Of non-members 50 as to
maintain an organized labor machine to
rob and plunder the rest of the folks,
as the trusts are doing? If it were
established for any such purpose or
object it should be promptly crushed.
But it is needless to say that is not it's
purpose.
The Union Shop exists not for itself
alone, nor for the labor union that con-
tracts for it. It is but a means to an
end. 1t supplies the machinery under
which democracy in industry may prop
erly function, and without which there
can be no such thing as democracy in
industry.
Governments exist among men and
women to protect them in their lives,
liberties and property. In democratic
governments the people have all to say
as to what laws shall be enacted to
which they shall yield obedience. Where
tho people have no say as to the max
ing Of laws, and where one man or a
set of self-appointed men has the say,
there is autocracy in government. Men
and women who would be FREQ have
sacrificed everything they possessed to
secure democracy in government.
Industries exist to directly or indi-
rectly feed, clothe, shelter, and give
comfort aud convenience to the people.
They are operated for service, with
profit as the incentive to attract men
possessed of energy and enterprise. Two
human clements are necessary in the
conduct Of industry--the possessors of
capital and the owners Of labor power.
each OF whom is useless within them.
selves alone. And even both together
would be unable to produce any wealth
without some God-given land and the
natural products it yields.
when masters of men ran govern
ments and made all the laws under
which the people lived they at the time
ran all the industries and through their
governments they made laws to regulate
the conduct of the men and women en-.
ployed therein. They fixed wage scales,
hours Of labor and conditions of en-
ployment by law. If the workers met
to request or demand changes in the
law they were cast into jail for con.
splracy against the law. If two or
more quit work in protest against the
master-made law it was rebellion
against the government.
When governments became free for
MI the people and they were given IN
equal voice in making the laws and
administering them, most of the laws
that had been passed by the masters
to govern the conduct of persons at
their work, excepting such as were held
to protect the lives and health Of the
; workers, were repealed. Labor was
gwen free hand to work out its own
destiny in its own way untrammeled bv
oppressive legal restrictions, save those
1nat were set up by the courts from
t1nae to time in attempts to draw = .or+
ot mason and Dixon" line between
what they called the rights of persons
and tho rights of property.
When governments ceased 70 m,le
Laws to govern the conduct of persons
At their work, the owners Of the indus.
tries set up rules in their stead. Thew
owned the works and believed theY
should have all to say, not only about
now the business should be run. but
now tho workers should act and behave
IN and out Of their employment. They
recognized no obligation to all the peo
pie from whom they received their raw
material, OF to the workers without
whom no new wealth could be produced
They had title to their shops and
factories and such ownership led then
to believe it gave them mastery ove,
their workmen. That is, a. it alw.v.
has been, autocracy in industry.
Labor has outworn its rass and W,
are al living today better than kine,
OF old, but We are not satisned. W,
wasn't something more than food and
leisure and comfort. It is not 80 muct
the material things We crave a. it !,
the longing for freedom. Maste1.mad<
law, in government or industry, stide,
and covers. Workers yield to it onl,
under compulsion, and that il serfdom
Until the world war they cried out
against it in tho wilderness. Now the7
are fighting it like crusaders Of old
Within their. breasts there is . yearnins
FOR seh'soverument in industry, the las
milestone in tho march to absolut,