Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-09-27
Mr.. Clark Representing Capital.

Mr.. Clark Representing Capital.
Sensing the fact that the steadily
advancing prices Of commodities in the
spring of 1919 were certain to cause
advances in wages the officials of the
United Textile Workers. came To Char
lotte and launched 4 strike for higher
wages in tho cotton mills.
Since that time they have thrivcd in
this section because they made the
cotton mill operatives believe that
they secured the advance. in wages,
whereas it can be easily shown that
prior to the settlement of the 1919
strike wages in every other cotton
mill section Of the south had advanced
to scale demanded by the strikers.
The employees would hav" obtained
the advances if there had never been
any strike and the real result of the
strike was that the operatives in the
Charlotte section lost several months
wages. while the operatives in other
wages at steadily advancing rates, as
did the workers in every other industry
during that period Of advancing prices.
Having made the operatives in this
section believe that the advances which
they secured were duo 10 the efforts
of the United T,Nti'c Workers, that or
ganiHatio" crro'lCd . large number of
members and one of their former or
CaniZCrs has estimated that the
amount of union dues collected and
turned over to them since that time
has amounted 20 not less than S25O,OOO.
AS long as the period of prosperity
lasted the union members paid rcgu-
lar dues, but during the depression
there was rapid decrease in paying
members and the United Textile
Workers officials found collections
dropping to a very low point.
In order to revive collections they
began to tell the operative that if he
paid his dues regularly he would be
supported to the extent Of Sc per week
whenever he chose to strike.
The idea of being abe to strike and
then bc given financial support for
months while not working appealed
very strongly To a considerable per
cent. of the mill operatives.
As that propaganda materially in
creased the collection of dues, special
men were put on To cnCour2gr the idea
and that movement was the real cause
of the Charlotte Concord kannapplls
strike, because the operatives began to
! look forward to the strike, when
meant for them an extended vacation
at the expense of tho "Intcrnational,'
as they call the head organization.
/ The operatives had been told not only
would the "intc.nationa" send un-
/ limited funds, but all Other unions in
| the United States were ready and anX-
! ious to send them large contributions.
Thomas f.. Mcmahon. then vice
president of the United Textile Work
/ crs. finally found that he had started
/ something that h" could not stop and
/ the pressure WIS 50 great that Strlk"
| was called on June |, and about 5000
mill operatives walked out absolutely
confident that they would he support
/ cd I'M idlcmrSS during the summer.
The unions were told To- us" In"
funds in their local trca#uricS and That
they would he replaced hy unlimited
, funds that would soon he sent 10y the
international. and McNIahOu left Char
lottr under tn" prCtcXt Of securing the
funds.
AS McNIahon's return was postponed
from time to time and the strikers be-
gan to go hungry. il became necessary
for his liCutcnants To stall thr strikers
and they would tell fabulous tales oi
the funds that he was to bring back
Some said it WAS to he $2O,OOO,OOO
others that the check was 50 large that
they could not read it and McMahon's
return train began to he called tho
gold special"
Finally McMahon returned to Char
lotlc bringing with him pitiful 5000
of contributions that he had Ohtainct
from New EnE!ard textile unions anC
although open friction developed Will
local union members, he began again
to stall the strikers, who We're At thai
} time beginning to get very hungry.
II became so hot for McAlahon tina
. after arranging for a solicitation I"
funds from unions throughout the
C&ro'inas. he LEFT Charlotte for goo,
and absolutely deserted the men an'