Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-03-17

tltAkAtN ~ iNilC VIII 1tlA I Nttl
of meetings which is being h,
may become better acQuainte
lied labor.
Mr. We'll held the close atteation
ef his audience throughout his ad-
dess, and after a feN introductory
remarks launched forth into his sub
leet. Tie necounted Tho suitefings Vt
the workers in prsIhnsuan times,
telling of the slavery of % penoent
of the people. who were the slaves of
the other pc,cent But, he said,
We are nov living IN a new aye, and
our interests today eenterS upon that
great third estate@the wage earn
ers. In pne-C Christian times the work.
ers did not even awn their souls,
much less their labor. and now. after
centuries Of struggle In which the
yoke Of slavery has been cast of. and
labor has secured certain degree Of
freedom. there are those who are put
ting forth every effort to return the
workers 10 the same conditions they
occupied centuries age,
Christ preached the doctrine Of
equality and of the brotherhood Of
man. and was punished in manner
well known TO all. To-day. when Ia
her breaches the same doctrine, IL is
held up TO scom and ridioule by Just
the same kind II axploiters of labor
that opposed the peachings Of Jesus
Christ.
Not until the thirteenth century did
the people begin TO use their reason.
ing power In collective sense Ia AN
effort to secure industrial freedom.
They began 10 ask Why, IL all people
were born of one God. born equal,
they were compelled TO bc the slaves
of the masters ,aad from that time
on the struggle for freedom has been
waRod generation after generation
until the present time, aud with the
development of tho factory system.
and the right of he worker to con-
traet for the sale Of his labor has
eome freedom for the worker. This
freedom Is being jeopardizes ut the
Ileseni time by the open shop
movement. which, The speaker said.
was rot new movement, but was
one that had been tried time ant
agair with but one rasult--ihiluro.
The "open shoopers' at this time
are taking advantage OF every oppor.
tunlty To destroy organized labor.
Never before havc ihey been 40 thor.
ouRhly organized. and never before
has such preparations been made for
the Accomplishment Of their purpose.
Never before has such an array of
opposing elements been banded To-
gether for a similar purpose--a pur-
pose doomed TO failure, because II Is
wrong. This great opposition TO or
eanized labor, said Mr.. VOL, Is but
the last stand Of employers 10 keep
democracy out of industry. Launched
at a very opporune time, In a period
of depression, the open shop may
make some progress; but the pendu-
lum will surely sooner or later swing
the other way, and when that time
comes as ii surely will come---lct
those who are now trying TO oppress
and kill labor beware, their day of
reckoning will be at hand.
The labor movement Is an uncon-
scious force that Is driving people
onward and upward. 1t Is that force
which IA seeking 10 alleviate the sufs
ferings Of humanity by making CON
ditions of employment such that the
working mans family may enjoy
more of the blessings of life. The
labor movement has been instrumen-
tai In securing better pay, shorter
hours, sanitary surroundings, II has
taken the child out of the factory and
placed IL in the school; secured for
women workers Laws that are fayora-
Bile TO that class of workers, and has
been behind every forward movement
that was for the betterment and up
lift Of mankind. without this great
force, little IL any advancement could
be made by the workers. without
this force, the individual worker
would not be able 10 enter into a
contract with the employer and Sc
cure the same favorable conditions he
is able TO secure through the eollec-
tive strength of the organized move
ment The open shop would deny
him the right TO combine with nus
fellow workers for the making OF a
contract to his advantage.
II employers, professional men, re-
ligious societies, educational sOcle-
ties, and others have the right 10 or
panize for their mutual benefit, then
we ask that labor be accorded the
same right, and the right, also, Of Sc
lecting men OF their own choosing 70
meet with the representatives OF en-
ployers for the purpose Of negouat-
ing conditions pertaining to the sale
Of their labor.
Wages, hours, and conditions are
not all that Is involved in organized
labor's fight for advancement. The
home Is the main issue, for the wages
received determine 10 a great extent
the kind OF home the worker Is TO
| live in, and the kind Of home he
| lives in determines the prosperity
and progress Of the nation. Ciylliza-
ton is founded upon the home. Make
the home happy and what 1t should
be and have a happy, prosperous ma
ton; destroy the home, and the ma
ton will be destroyed The open
Shoppers in their attempt 70 destroy
the labor organizations, are also az
tempting TO destroy the home.
Mr.. Vol told Of the condemnation
placed upon organized labor by the
/ public because, here and there, Labor
| leader goes wrong. He said the pub
lie press, subsidized by political anc
industrial influences, never failed Z
give much prominence 70 the wront
doings of a union leader, leaving Tho
i impression that the whole movement
is equally as bad. But, do we con
denim the entire membership of Othel