Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1921-06-03
THE OPEN SHOP
By Jacob j. Neimann

Dy JdCOD y NGllildHll
The "Open Shop" advocates are not
sparing any expense to susidize the
daily press and are also sending
speakers to all the cities. They call
the open shop the American plan,
which is an affront to the American
people. The open shop advocates are
like the contemplate politician who
seeks an office under the cloak Of
patriotism, and who questions his op
ponents Americanism, only to find
himself later on confronted with an
Indictment or charged with being
guilty Of misfeasance. So it is with
the majority Of the open shop ad
vocates.
Our experience with the open shop
has made US intelligent enough to
know that the motives behind this
movement are questionable The
open shop is a correlation Of the
bIackest kind Of infanticide. All the
conditions that we got, that are far,
was through our resistance and ag-
gressiveness Of the Unions. Who
shall question our right to demand
that each and every man shall have a
card and bear his share of expense
and responsibility, and prevent con
stant friction in the shop? Show me
a man who objects to discipline i'm
posed by his own election, and ! can
show you a fool. Anybody with com
mon sense knows that in the non
union shop there is constant friction
between the men, and that the en-
plOyer gradually lowers their wages
and prolongs the hours. No one Will
deny that a union is necessary as a
means to secure fair conditions and
wages. Therefore it is beyond US
how some people viii allow these
open shop advocates to beguile them
with their cOntemptuOus cajOlely that
it is an injustice in US demanding the
necessary means to preserve our own
I existence. The open shop advocates
claim that the closed shop interferes
with individual liberty What a joke.
Does it not frequently happen that
the liberty Of the individual must be
sacrificed for the common good Of all ?
Every person in this country sacrifices
some Of his liberty every day for the
good Of all, himself included What
does the Open-shopper sacrifice?
Manhood. We union men are willing
to sacrifice some Of our personal
liberty when we see that insistence
upon it would mean Injustice TO our
fellow worker Spirit Of this kind is
surely ennobling We do not deny
any man the fundamental right to
earn his living. We hold that that
right is sacred But we do deny him
the right to injuIe the conditions un-
der which we must work.
The closed shop is necessary to OBJ
tain just wages and conditions, it
then follows that the open shops
policy is to lower wages and prolong
the hours without our right to ques
tion their right to do so. The open
shoppers claim that their policy will
be invoked as a fundamental right
under any condition. We say that the
closed shop win be invoked as a fun
damental right, but not under any con-
ditiOn. You open shop advocates re
fuse to recognize our right to organ
iZe in the sense that we can demand
a hearing through our chosen rep
resentatiVes or committees" How
ever it is just and proper and fun
damental right for you to be organ
lied most thoroughly and effectively,
and to have chosen representatives to
speak in vour behalf in and out of
Washington D. c. You are using
the precise principles and methods
which you are trying to deny to US.
Ignorance is bliss. 1t is very un-
fortunate that history must repeat it
self again to teach you open shop ad-
Iyocates that it is easier to empty the
ocean into the lake than it is to stop
progress. Ignorance denies one light,
it denies progress, it is arbitrary.
The fall Of nations was the cause of
ignorance. 1t is in contradistinction
of intelligence. Intelligence is light,
it is ennobling, it is inspiring. 1t is
light without which no progress could