davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The labor world., 1921-03-12

so.ealled economic council, they had
attempted to create q state within the
state by an openly revolutionary pro-
gram. After paying tribute to the
patriotism and valuable services rend-
cred by the labor leaders during the
war and after declaring its belief that
the confederation has done and can do
much good, the national court stirringly
remarks that its leaders through COOP
Grafton with the government during the
war evidently conceived an exaggerated
notion Of their own Importance aud
that the confederation had strayed a.
present far from purely economic aims
Its attempted alliances with foreign
labor bodies, its propaganda against
Russian intervention and its favorable
attitude toward revolutionary strikes
are particularly mentioned.
"It is practically necessary just
now,' the Judgment continues, "the
country should not be disordered BY
the phantasmagoria Of a revolutionary
ideal more or less deceptive and more
or less in opposition to the profound
laws upon which the modern life Of
any society depends.
Such language sounds strange, IN
deed, coming as it does from our sistc,
republic across the sea. The workers o1
our land cannot forget that America is
free from Great Britain because o,
the revolutionary ideal Of France an6
the sympathetic strike France ordered
in behalf Of our cause. The negro i;
free because of the revolutionary ideal
and sympathetic strike of the north
Both England and France are fres
from Prussian domination because ol
the revolutionary ideal and sympathetic
strike of America. What greater Low;
hath man than this, that he may lay
down his life for his friend, his fellow
| citizen, his fellow worker?
The sympathetic strike, call it revo
lutionary if you will, if entered in =
good cause is in essence orthodox Chris
! tianity in action. The greatest ant
most dangerous tyranny having eve1
threatened the freedom ,of the people!
Of the world and having menaced thu
safety Of the great republics of ou1
time are the attacks made by any fac
tion or syndicate in governments whic!
happens to have the judges in offices
| and under its control.
The labor world., 1921-03-12
DEMOCRACY TRIUMPHS.

The settlement Of the strike of the
Journeymen Tailors' union, involving a
reduction in wages, collective bargain
ing and the union shop, points the way
for industrial peace in Duluth in all
trades and callings, and indicates what
can be done by ''talking WITH in
stead Of "talling to'' labor.
Union labor, as general rule, has
not taken an arbitrary position on the
wage question, but it has enphatically
declared that it will not return to pre-
war standards and pre-war methods.
1t stands first for collective bargain
ing and the recognition Of democracy
in industry. The matter of the union
shop or the "open' shop are mere
details in collective bargaining.
Some trade agreements include a
union shop provision, and others do
not. While it is true that union men,
bers would prefer the union shop to the
"open" shop, it is not always insisted
upon. For intance, the Tailors' union
has not specifically required that ali
journeymen shall be members of the
union, but no merchant tailor is entitled
TO the use of the union label, unless
he first agrees to employ only union
tailors. No local tailor can afford to
do without the label. His trade comes
largely from persons friendly to labor.
Slick statesmen for out-of-town tailors
have faculty Of reaching and getting
orders for clothes from the higher-ups.
If the local building contractors
treated with the building trades union
now on strike in the same manner as
did the merchant tailors with the jour
ncymen, they would settle the trouble
now confronting the building industry
i'll short order. The question at issue
is not primarily one Of wages, but Of
collective bargaining. The building
trades unions will permit no peace in
the industry until collective bargain.
ing is again recognized. The contrac-
tors may succeed in filing the city
with non-union workers, and they may
not, but in any event labor has fought
too hard to gain collective bargaining
Fto give it up without fight, and it
wifi neVes> again permanently go back
to the old order.
The labor world., 1921-03-12
Iowa Architect Says Contractors
Combine Keep Building Costs up

That organized labor is not re-
sponslble for high costs in construc-
ton work as is the general belief due
to the continued citations OF the en-
ploylng contractors and Master Build
ers' associations is proven by the fol-
lowing statement that was given to
The Cedar Rapids Tribune by a rep
utable and reliable citizen who is
engaged in supervising as we'll as fur
nishing plans for this class of work.
There exists in Iowa and I pre-
sumo in many states in the north,
combinations composed of architects,
contractors and material men that to
my knowledge is directly responsible
for large percentage of the present
day high cost of construction said
this gentleman. Through the work.
ings Of the contractors bunch COM
petition upon large contracts has been
virtually eliminated greatly along the
same lines that the paving contract
ors for years found protection by
elimination process when work Of this
nature has been awarded by munich
palities. In that particular line the
state is divided into districts and the
territory assigned the contractor is
protected to the extent that outside
bidders that are present at the let
tings' submit prepared bids that are
just enough higher to insure the work
going to the contractor who has been
assigned that particular territory.
1.-The present day practices of the
members of the associations that are
interlocking are carried out along
similar lines although the tactics are
not quite so effective. AS an illustra-
The labor world., 1921-03-12

industrial relations, a sneaking, under
handed, poisonous, trouble'making,
trouble-perpetuating substitute. 1t is
to the hygiene Of industry what drug
addiction is to tho hygiene of the in
dividual, a temporary and Elusive re-
lief that produces more trouble than
ever it can cure.
''The industrial spy, by the very
nature of his business, cannot permit
confidence to grow up between the en-
ployer and employee. His earnings de-
pend upon keeping the employer fright
ened, the men restless and suspicious.
1t is not surprising to find, as Mr..
| Howard shows, that industrial spies
have played both sides against each
other, and have been at the bottom Of
a great deal Of the violence and cor.
| ruption Of industrial conflict. It is a
system based on the negation Of honor
and good faith in human relationships,
and is bound to breed dishonor AMI
| bad faith wherever it is introduced
"ro anyone who sincerely believes in
cooperative spirit between labor and
capital, to anyone who gives more than
lip service to the American ideal, this
vast, intricate, insinuating system OF
bad will,e provocation, corruption and
| violence is an intolerable obstacle te
industrial peace. The evidence here
given is complete enough; it rests on
sufficient documentary evidence, to cal
for federal investigation of the whole
business, followed by strict legislation
against the practice.
| "There is very little room, if any
for private espionage in a republic. II
violates every sound tradition ani
every sound instinct Of republican gov
ernment. For it introduces into tht
inner circles Of western life an atti
tude Of mind that belongs to the in
trigue and conspiracy of an Orienta
court. There, where government is ar
bitrary and personal, espionage is tht
basis Of administration. But here, W.
are supposed to have invented a sub
stitute for arbitrary and personal gov
ernment in the principle of representa-
tion and consultation, and there is NJ
place for industrial espionage. Loyalt,
to American ideals is incompatible will
this practice. It is 100 per cent un
Americana
The labor world., 1921-03-12

4 lot of this sort Of talk is sheer
bunk, and nobody knows it better than
the takers; but it is probably true
that there are men who honestly think
not merely that individual unions make
mistakes, but that unionism itself is
wrong. They ought to read history and
know how entirely labor has depended
upon organization for any advance that
it has made in living conditions.
The very men who talk about the
dignity Of the individual laborer who
is free to match his strength against
the might Of the steel corporation would
damn to the lowest pit Of hell the indi-
vidual who boasted Of his independ-
ence because he was a man withou:
a country. 1t ought to be obvious to
the most superficial mind that. the
worker is as much dependent upon his
fellow workers and owes at least as
much loyalty to them as a man owes
to his fellow citizens in the city or
state.
Unions may have their faults; their
philosophy may be inadequate to the
time; but the last way in the world to
cure these evils is to extol scabbing
as a virtuous practice or to try to
make it appear that any man is other
than selfish who, because he things
his own individual interests not furth-
cred by the union, holds aloof from this
one practical expression of working.
class solidarity. One type of unionism
may give place to another, evils IN
unions may be abolished, but they will
be abolished by the unionist and not
by the scab, who, though the hero Of
the publicity men, is the dupe of the
employer.
The labor world., 1921-03-12
LABOR AND HARDING.

organized labor has assumed a wait
ing and expectant attitude toward the
new administration. It greets Presi-
dent Harding with an open and unpre-
JUDGED mind. While it is true that
his candidacy was opposed in labor 3
non-partisan political campaign, his
election was accepted with good grace
and the earnest hope that sinister in
tluences that actively supported him
will be disappointed when they come
with their demands for extension Of
special privileges and enslavement Of
producers.
Few presidents ever came to the
White House with heavier burdens of
responsibility resting upon him than
is carried by Mr.. Harding. There are
many and difficult problems growing
out Of the war to which he must ad.
dress his best thought, and their solu-
tion will be possible only if he has the
united and cheerful support Of all the
people. No program of reconstruction
will be satisfactory that does not COM
mand the unstinted cooperation Of
workers and farmers.
In this country has grown up a cult
OF "Big Business" that sincerely be-
lieves the perpetuation of our institu-
tions and the securing Of peace and
prosperity are dependent upon it's az.
grandizement and glorifcation. It has
its defenders in congress and its sup.
porters on the bench. 1t has, during
the past three or four years, been in
absolute control Of the nation, with
results that must be apparent to even
the most easual student of politics and
The labor world., 1921-03-12
SYMPATHETIC STRIKES.

No people ever held another in sub
lection without losing their own rights.
This is true Of the relations of classes
as of nations. The middle classes
everywhere are helping feverishly and
blindly the extremely small but rich
class of plutocrats in taking away the
rights of working people. In so doing
they are establishing precedents by
which, when the opportune time comes,
their own rights will be forfeited.
In the United States our supreme
court has denied the workers the right
OF collectively exercising their economic
power to correct industrial wrongs and
to promote their social and economic
welfare. Likewise, in France, we find
the national court dissolving the Con-
federation Generate du Travail because
the workers dared to venture into DO
htical action to protect their rights
and advance their social, political and
industrial interests.
Taking advantage Of the great loss
sustained by the French General Labor
Confederation following the disastrous
general railway strike Of last May, the
government carried it's offensive against
this great labor organization to a not.
able success. After an extensive and
very long trial the national court has
ordered the dissolution of the confed-
Grafton, sentenced its leaders to pay
a small fine and appointed an expert
to liquidate the confederation prop.
erty.
Leaving aside infractions Of the laws
relating to the establishment of trade
unions, the governments chief charge
was that the labor leaders, contrary
to law, had lifted tho organization of
2 purely economy foundation on t
POLITICAL ground and BY increasing it.
The labor world., 1921-03-12
RIGHT TO QUIT WORK.

Deprive labor Of the right to quit
work and you have destroyed its power
of resistance totally. Behind the gov
ernments of tho world are the armies
and navies. Behind the laws for their
internal government is the force of
chief executives. Behind the organiza-
tion Of the masters in industry il the
lockout. Behind the organization Of
the workers is the strike.
To labor all force is hateful. It ap.
peals therefore, to reason, to justice
and right; but to surrender the right
TO strike il to surrender its power to
resist the tyranny of its soppressors.
The labor world., 1921-03-12
THE NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL.

Harry NJ. Daugherty, of Columbus,
Ohio, is attorney general in the cabinet
Of President Warren G. Harding.
As attorney general Mr.. Daugherty,
during the next four years, will be
called upon to represent the people Of
the United States in suits involving
billions of dollars. The railroad COM
panies have already filed claims for
$3.50, 100000, and it is known they will
ask much more than that sum in suits
which are being prepared, but which
have not been filed.
Other concerns controlled by "Big
Business have also filed claims against
the government running into the hun
dreds of millions. These have to do
in large parts with contracts and Gun
derstandings" entered into while our
country was at war with Germany.
An attorney general devoted to the
public interest could probably dispose
Of the greater part of these claims at
very little cost to the public treasury.
An attorney general not devoted to
the public interest could easily arrange
matters so that judgments for stagger-
ing sums would be entered against the
government.
The, people are therefore vitality in
terested in Mr.. Daugherty; in his abil-
ity, his courage, his honesty; his So
cial, business and political connections.
What has he done to entitle him to
be chosen as the peoples champion in
matters Of such great moment?
He has been conspicuous figure in
Ohio politics for 25 years. During
practically all that time he has repre-
sented public utility corporations
which were endeavoring to get some
thing from the people, and he has rep.
resented them very successfully.
He has become known as the man
who could always "deliver the goods"
for his clients. But so far as the rec
ord shows his clients have never been
the plain people Of Ohio.
His most distinguished client has
been the 'House Of Morgan.' He as
sisted that international banking con-
Germ in putting through the consoli-
dation of the Ohio telephone companies,
and he is still attorney for the com.
bination. Among the suits to be han
died by Mr.. Daugherty as attorney
general are claims for hundreds Of mil
!! lions by Morgan roads.
We are not disposed to pro-judge
Mr.. Daugherty. He may make an ex.
cellent attorney general. If he serves
the people as faithfully as he has
served the public utility corporations
Of Ohio we will have no cause to COM
plain.
But will he1
The labor world., 1921-03-12
WASHINGTON ENACTS Law
WHICH OUTLAWS STRIKES

In the state of Washington a II
has been enacted by the legislat. s
over the protest of the orga, 81.
workers, establishing a so-called H.
department that virtually OUT 81.
strikes, ignores unions in exten.4
recognition to shop employees as u S,l
and contains other provisions that .;@ ;R
calculated to undermine organ y
labor.
The unionists denounce the measur
as an "open Shop trap and will tes
an emergenc clause that was tacke
on in the courts in order to force
to a referendum.
In Oklahoma freak law is to
put over to prevent strikes by estat
fishing state commission to be con,
posed Of three liable" attorneys, /
be elected, who were not identifie
with either organizations Of capits
or labor (if such critters ca -,
found), and who are to hear all
plants and render awards ,sSss
ingly.
In Indiana an anti-strike bill, -1#
eled after the Kansas law, e
sneaked through the house WI
union officials We're supposed to
on watch at the legislature. The
has been blocked in the senate, II
according to latest reports, m As
defeated, as leading capitalists s@sss @
altogether satisfied with it. Ga
The labor world., 1921-03-12

ton, I will cite a certain structure
that was recently completed in a pros
porous Iowa town Of 10000 inha bit
ants. Through efforts upon my part
two independent contractors were pre-
vailed upon to bid on the work. The
association members refused to sub
nit bids when this fact became
known. The completed structure cost
$4,000. The independent contractor
made net profit Of $4,000. Had the
work gone to the others that profit
would have been doubled and the
building would have cost not less than
$4,000. Union men were employed.
Another building recently COM
plete at a cost Of over 100000 by
member of the association where in.
dependent contractors were persuaded
that they were not desired when the
bids were submitted should not have
been erected at a cost Of not to ex
coed $4,000 according to the in
dependents who examined the plans
and specifications.
II am giving this information with
out any motive except that you may
know that the cry of the excessive
wage scales. fabulous costs due di-
rectly to that cause with which the
public is being fed up so much of late
is to be taken with a grain If allow
ance. If the contractors will cut
their margin Of profit these costs
can be greatly reduced and wages can
remain at present standards. I am
in no manner interested in the labor
question but I do not believe tina
trade unionists have been given a
square DEAL"
The labor world., 1921-03-12

economics. The nation has been
robbed until it is almost bankrupt, the
courts have been corrupted, and laws
made in the interests Of the general
well.being employed to advance or re-
tard certain groups Of citizens.
The gentlemen who have been a:
the helm will seek to maintain their
position Of advantage, and they arc
prepared to demand Of President Hard
ing new methods Of exploitation and
subjugation. Their first demand is for
laws that will make the workers SUBJ
missive. The champions Of <tBig Busi-
ness' are vociferous in insisting that
"labor must be shown it's place"--
which is the same as saying that the
men engaged in useful industry must
be content to eat out of the employ
| er's hand.
Confronted with this unholy and in.
human program, President Harding will
face the supreme test. He has oppor.
tunity to enroll his name high emong
American immortals, or he may run
his brief course and retire to the obliv.
ion that is reserved for all who play
off one group against another, for the
advantage of one and the detriment of
the other.
There are some very definite and en-.
couraging signs that Mr.. Harding is
anxious to maintain the good opinion
| Of his countrymen. There are othe:
indications, just as definite and much
less encouraging, that he is going to
have difficult time realizing this am.
bition. There has been so much in
trigue and scheming since Novembe,
that it is not wise or just to judge
anything that has been done by the
president. In the selection of his cabi,
net he may have done the best possible
under the circumstances that faced
him. But henceforth he will be judged
solely by his acts. It will not be long
until the workers will be in position
| to determine for themselves whethe,
all the disquieting forecasts made dur.
ing the campaign and subsequently arc
to be realized.
There is just one ray Of hope fol
the toilers-conditions cannot possibly
be worse than they have been during
the past two years. Congress has been
as supine in it's devotion to the inter
ests as any body of lawmakers dare be
Privilege has asked nothing that it has
not received. The people have beer
exploited and defrauded at every turn
1T may be said that reaction has gone
as far as it may 60. There is always
satisfaction in knowing the worst thai
may happen. But the workers ar;
hoping, with very little reason, to bt
sure, that conditions are going tt
change for the better. This hope ha:
its inspiration in the quite generally
held belief that Mr.. Harding will sin
cerely strive for an abiding place in
the affections of his countrymen.
The labor world., 1921-03-12
THE LABOR SPY.

The article on the first page Of this
issue, which is continuation of the
one appearing in the last number Of
The Labor World, dealing with the
subject Of espionage in American in
dustries is reprinted through the cour-
tesy of The New Republic, credit for
which was inadvertently omitted in the
issue Of March S.
The material is the digest of report
made under the auspices Of the Cabot
Fund for Industrial Research. The in
vestigation was made by Mr.. Sidney
Howard for DR.. Richard G. Cabot, now
professor Of social ethics in Harvard
University. That part of the work
which involved a direct approach to
labor organizations was undertaken by
Mr.. Robert Damn, Yale, '1s, and a
member of the Amalgamated Textile
Workers of America.
The lead for the investigation was
supplied by Mr.. William Hard's arti-
cles on espionage in Passaic which ap-
peared in The New Republic last April.
The following comment is made by the
editors Of The New Republic which
accompanied the first instalment Of the
Cabot Fund report:
"The information amassed in the
report to DR.. Cabot covers a much
wider area, an area sufficiently large
to establish prima facie case for
believing that the practice of indus
trial espionage is national in scope.
Mr.. Howard and his assistants uncov-
cred the practice in the industrial cen.
ters Of New York and New England,
in Ohio and Michigan, in Chicago and
in Milwaukee and in several smaller
manufacturing towns. Direct informa-
tlon was amassed through manufactur.
ers and from industrial detectives
themselves, from court testimony and
from the records Of congress. Many
clues were supplied by the locals of
unions, but curiously enough, Mr.. How.
ard tells us, the national organizations
of labor would not divulge material
which the investigators knew them to
possess. He tells us, also, that there
were A. F. of L. officials who denied
that industrial espionage exists.
| "That it exists with enormous ram,
| itications no reader Of the series which
follows will dispute. Industrial spying
is large industry, drawing its profit.
out of the perpetuation of suspicion
between employer and employee. Re.
move suspicion, establish industrial re.
lations on the basis. Of frank confer.
ence, as has been done in many indus.
tries, and the industrial spy loses hi.
job But where no conference exists,
where employer and employee have NO
regular method Of consultation, tho spy
appears as the real intermediary be.
tween capital and labor. Industrial es.
lpionsgs i ! substitute Tor democratic
The labor world., 1921-03-12
WITHOUT A UNION.

Unemployment is not the fault of
the individual employer. He also is
the victim of the present situation. But
it is the fault Of some employers that
they are taking advantage Of labor .
dire necessity to try to squelch union
4sm.n Here is the Republican Publicity
Association declaring war on Mr.. Com
pers just as if he were Bolshevik. It
wakes righteously indignant in behalf
OF the independent worker who faces
!: :'fl'starvation = and DEATH if he fails stto
.5lss assign his his independence to the union.
The labor world., 1921-03-12

Now the farmers know why the gov
crnment has no money with which to
carry them over a rough place. It is
needed to assist the railroads with
their dividend "requirements.''
The labor world., 1921-03-12

In the old time the employ N
the price of labor. In the ~,
the union has a voice IN the =