Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-01-20
THOMAS <. BURKE SAYS
LABOR UNIONS WILL live

4 well-filled house greeted the
sneakers at last Sundays mass meet
inc held under the auspices of the
Txip CITY Federation of Labor at La
Dor Hall.
Following a few Introductory re-
marks by Chairman James Brown,
nrayer was offered by Rev. X. ID.
cramer pastor of the Universalist
church. Urbana, who afterward pre-
sented the opening address.
The churches are heartily in SYM
pathy with the principles of the or
ganized labor movement" said the
Speaker, who said he had gained con-
siderable knowledge of the movement
himself through working as a cors
boy in a foundry, as a machinists'
helper, and in mill work on 12-hour
night shift. :,
Il is no more right to condemn the
organized labor movement because OF
few crooked leaders, than it is to
condemn the church because 1t con-
tains few hypocrites and rascals.
The church, he said, believes in the
motives behind tie American FEEDER
alton Of Labor a1f right and just. He
said he had beeh warned by those
church members Nho were good Chris
tians on Sunday and who we're em-
ployers Of labor he rest Of the week.
Z Is ..seaslg sht toh,el Sf Jast1s GhTieks
and let earthly things be solved by
those mostly concerned. His e..urchsl
said the Apeaker, was concerned with
Knowing some If the hell existing
upon the earth leday in the form of
poyrty, ignorance, and other ills suf-
fered by the conilnon people. Jesus
Christ was the best friend the COM
mon people ever had, and He preached
the things that were for the benefit of
the common people.
Probably one of the best addresses
yet delivered in this series of meet
ings, was that of Thomas K. Burke,
secretary of the International Plumb
ers' union.
Mr.. Burke was highly pleased az
the local Federation's plan of educa-
tion through mass meetings, and said
it was new idea and one that was
bound to result in much good. He
wished that every city in the United
States would follow the example set
by the local Federation, and he said
iN ihstidtd " lay Iic pan USioiC
represented. There never before was
time, said Mr.. Burke, when labor
needed trade union education so much
as at the present time, and this could
only be accomplished by these meet
ings and the labor press.
Mr.. Burke spoke very highly of the
labor press of the country, telling of
the important part it is playing in
the labor movement, of its phenom-
enal growth during the past decade,
and Its usefulness. He spoke in terms
OF high praise of the Twin City Re-
view, and urged union men to get
sohdly behind what he termed as
Their paper" ut is a fact" he said,
mat most union men will subscribe
Tor the kept press, several magazines,
ana other reading matter, and ignore
the labor press altogether"
IN THIS matter, the speaker said, the
anonists of this country are far be-
hind those of European countries,
mhere labor dailies and weeklies are
70 De found on every newsstand. The
foreign labor movement was builded
" us labor press and keen appre-
cation of cooperation. 1t is of ut
most Importance, he said, to get the
lSpof press into the homes of those
VINO mold views opposite to ours.
af Burke is an optimist. Looking
uaeA over the hundreds of years into
ne tme when seven-eighths of the
people were slaves and the remaining
oee-eighth were slave masters, he
Visualize the progress made by man
Aihd up TO the present time. II has
MS al ,ff af
soit or other than all the reforms
~ .5oll n The early days of civilization un-
VI me present time were made-or-
saliAed effort opposed always by the
teppfeSSor. He had faith in the fu-
suie because it was inconsistent to
lIe'ieFe that the great good wrought
organized effort in the L~st is
sSoh To be stopped by tr- "open
= opposition to organized labor is as
va as labor itself. The speaker cited
tnahy cruelties perpetrated upon
- - pioneers IN the organized move
LEM. At one time ten thousand peo-
r. we're erucified because they rebel
rs against the tyrannical oppressors.
~: - brothers in Frances were thrown
else INTO kettle of molten lead for
sahlnqg the shoemakers-yet the
sHi9h tney organized endured for over
80 sao1Sand years. In grandfather's
- 81 years ago, when a group of
tsslsAiayers struck against a tyrant,
= iey We're thrown into Jail, and today,
- .saAaiisas, men are in Jail because
y ,.l ne same '.offense.n
h.e should appreciate what has
uAne 70 list humanity higher and
cssss ,s. "a greater liberty and a
ftssteE ffeedon.
,,a;..s e. pQ5<ance Of supporting the
nEsss ...s q Npnr trade vas strongly en-
because the great reforms