The labor world., 1922-12-02
NEGRO MINISTER SOUNDS Warning
AGAINST AUToCRACY IN INDUSTRY
Declares There Is Close Knshp Between Chatte| Slavery Of
Old South and Lives Of Present Day Workers.

kind Of slavery we were in then and
the kind Of slavery that the miners
have in these valleys and gullies OF
West Virginia. We have a deep and
active sympathy in our hearts with
this cause of yours. We are in SYM
pathy with your efforts to shorten
the working day-to cut short, for
example, the long hours that mine
workers spend every day in the bow
els of the earth. You are striving to
better your living conditions: and
you are striving tc make it impos-
sible for an angry boss to say to a
man. You just quit" without re-
gard for that mans long term OF
service or for his efficiency.
We are in sympathy with men
striving to stop that sort of thing.
Then there are spiritual values. You
wish not only to have more money
but more leisure and some time to
read and study, more time and means
to educate your children and to bring
a fuller appreciation and enjoyment
of life to the wives who are your
comrades. We understand there arc
great spiritual motives in the Amer
lean labor movement. We appreciate
the way you stand together in time
OF conflict to battle for these things
and we understand your hunger tC
see the solidarity of labor increase
But We are not with you as you
can see.
Black and White Labor.
Very few Of us are in your move
ment. No better example Of the fact
that we are not with :-ou as fully
as we might be can be shown than
that Negroes are often used as
strike breakers on jobs formerly held
by white men. That has occurred
time and again in the United States
AS you know, the trouble at East
st. Louis was largely caused by the
fact that industrial barons substi-
tuted black for white labor in order
to break the strike.
White laboring men should reflect
long and dispassionately when they
learn that Negroes are used as strike
breakers. There are reasons why Ne
groes are used as strikebreakers. One
Of those reasons you know well. We
Negroes>are as a mass very, very
far behind in matters Of education
AS a mass, we do not understand the
aims and motives of organized labor
Indeed, you have some trouble with
your own laborers in that respect
Now one of the reasons why Ne
groes are used as strike breakers is
the same reason why you cannot
get some white men to join your
labor movement. They do not un.
organized labor.
Locked Negro Out.
But there is another reason. This
is a reason which very seldom comes
to your attention.. That reason is
that organized labor has in many
cases locked the Negro out so thai
the black man has had to choose
either to starve or be a "scab.'
(Cries of "That is true! That is
true.~
If I should have conference with
the most thoughtful Negro leaders
in this country and ask them what
they think of the labor movement
the first answer would be, 1T is a
power for good. It ought to increase
as rapidly as possible. The hope OF
the nation and the world lies in the
solidarity and in the intelligent ac-
ton of labor" In the same breath
those men would cast down thei,
countenahces and say. "But If La
bor should succeed in the accom-
plishment of ATS aims, in. CONTROL,
ing the industrial and political sit
uation intAmerica, we have serious
doubts about what would happen tc
u.s.
Negroes in Doubt.
There are serious doubts today
my friends, among the thoughtful
colored men as to what would hap.
pen to the black people if organized
labor should wir it's battle. Time and
time again in critical situations
where we were facing starvation
organized labor has refused to take
us into its unions; so we have beer
obliged to find our friends amons
the enemies Of labor. I hope yor
will ponder that. We have beer
obliged by the very edge and pans
Of hunger to find our friends amont
the enemies Of labor.
It is we'll known today among
thoughtful Negroes that, especially
in the North, a Negro may depend
upon getting a good job quicker from
the opposition than he can from the
labor unions; that a skilled Negro
has better chance to advance &C
cording to his ability directly with
the attention of the capitalist thar
he has with organized labor.
You do not>see, perhaps, how tina
hurts labor but I can show you in {
minute. What does it do? A white
laboring man in America believe!
in the solidarity of labor but he be
lieves in more than that: He be
lieves in the solidarity Of white la
Dor. White men should think on this
You believe in the solidarity O
white labor. and the great masses
Of black people today believe tina
you believe in the solidarity of white
labor.
Solidarity of White Labor?
Now, why should white men be
lieYe in the solidarity Of white Ia