Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1923-08-31

between the farmer and ssill further
losses, and between the unofganizel
Wofkers AMI still further losses. and
between the trade uni0uists aud the
same late as the farmers and other
unoigamzed workers, has been the
/ trade union movement.
There i 10 one thing thai has
meant 50 much FOR the good 10 the
great mass Of people IN every walk
OF lie In our country during this
period OF stress and strife, as has the
labor movement.
The enemies of labor under every
guise during all the years have been
hghung 10 prevent the establishment
OF the labor movement, 10 destroy IL
where II Vas Established first as a
| common enemy Of the organizations
OF working men aud women,-then as
law AMI order societies. then as
Cluzens Alliances, then as Openshop
Movements; then the American Plan
nerS, and nov the Minute Men of the
Constitution lso-ealledl.
Under each successive name, As
their true purposes were exposed to
the light Of day by the labor move
ment, every decent man and woman
refused TO have anything TO do with
| them.
These organizations are the legiti.
! mate decendents of Captain Kidd and
the primitive pirates of feudal times
They should be. were they TO fly their
true eolors. carrying black flag;
imprinted upon ii, the skull and cross
| bones.
During all Of the history of the
"A III
have had their spies and stool pigeons
within the labor movement, seeking TO
| divide il, mislead il, TO disefedit it..
weaken and destroy it. Uusally these
tools of theirs have advocated the inn
practical or the impossible. They
have done 1t under the guise of being
more progressive than the men and
women who make up the labor move
| ment and particularly those who have
ben selected or elected by the mem
bership for leadership.
AT the present time they have ap-
parently more of them working, more
skillfully, under that guise than they
have ever had. However, it appears
that the labor movement is as capable
today as it has been in the past, of
understanding who its foes are and
what their methods are, not only those
who are outside fighting il openly and
by every other means, but those who
are inside of il as well, And il is
very apparent that the labor move
ment at this time, is neither going to
be driven under black ilup, nor
| deluded into going under a red flag,
to be destroyed in either case.
The labor movement is going on It's
way, using sound judgment, good
| reasoning, common sense, and fair
| ness. pursuing the course that is pfac-
| teal that means protecting the stand
ards of wages and conditions of life
and living for the workers, from the
| onslaughts of its enemies, and pro-
noting them where it is possible and
even under the most trying circum-
stances under which not only our own,
but every other country is laboring
at the present time, it too seems to
! be becoming better understood and is
attracting the loyalty and support of
the workers in larger numbers, than
ever before in all its history as well
as making an appeal that Is inlluenc.
ing large numbers Of men and women
in the other walks Of life to assume a
| friendl yattitude towards it and its
purposes, and compelling the respect
Of its enemies.
The tide has again turned. Indus
| trial conditions are getting better
our movement is stronger and better
as a. result of its trials, and. when
this furry is over, it will emerge with
a. larger membership, greater hope
and better prospects for the future
than ever before.
1t seems to me that from time 10
| time, there must be reversion to first
principles, and ! am not sure that we
could do anything better within the
labor movement itself now. than 70 re-
adopt and carry into effect, the pur-
pose, spirit and intent of the deelara
ton that was established in the
Cleveland, Ohio, convention of the
American Federation of Labor, No
vember 81, 1882, which is as follows:
1--WE favor this federation because
it is the most natural and aSsimilatlye
form of bringing the trades and labor
unions together. 1t preserves the in
duStrial autonomy and distinctive
character of each trade and labor
union, and without doing violence TO
their faith or traditions, blends them
all in one harmonious whole-a fed
GRAFTON of trades and labor unions.
Such a body looks to the organization
of the working classes as workers,
and not a soldiers lin the present
depreciatory sense) or politicians. II
makes the qualities of man as y
worker, the only test of fitness, and
sets up no political or religious test
of membership. 1t strives for the
unifcation of all labor, not by
straining at an enforced union of
diverse thought and widely separated
methods; not BY prescribing a uniform
plan of organization regardless OF
their experience or interests; not BY
autagonizing or destroying existing
Organizations, but by preserving all
that is integral or good in them, and
by widening their scope so that each
without destroying their individual
character, may act together in all that
concerns them. The open trades IN
ions, national and international, can
work and ought TO work side by side
with the knights Of Labor, and TINS
would be the case, were II not for men,
either over-Zealous or ambitious, VINO
busy themselves in attempting the de-
struction Of existing unions TO serve
their own whims and mad iconoclasm.
This should cease, and each should IN
derstand its proper place and work In
that sphere; and if they desire to come
under one head, or affiliate their az
fairs, then let all trades and labor
societies, secret or public, be repre-
scented in the Federation Of Trades
and Labor Unions"