The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-27
FREEDOM" is
PHILOSOPHY OF
OPEN SHOPPERS
Cite Vanderbilt Pro-
fessor AS Guide

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Feb. 25.-The
Employers Association is getting out
upon a campaign to break up the
building trades unions. Breaking up
any union is always the function of
an employers association, but the
building trades unions are especially
getting the attention because of their
refusal to accept a wage cut of IL
cents, and in addition have voted by
rank and file ballot, not to admit any
arbitration" bunk to cheat them out
of what their organized power can
get.
An architect, F. McElwaney was to
have been the impartial" umpire.
But that's off. There is much call
for building trades workers as build
ing is booming and much of it is rush
Jobs. So the unions do not feel like
surrendering.
The Captain Enters The Plot
The employers association, head
ed by an animal with a moniker of
"eaptain"-probably a relic of the
world warts broadcasting sheaves
OF open shop literary efforts to con-
vince the employing contractors of
the necessity of fighting the unions.
Captain Anderson, his surname
libels the whole of Sweden, sent out
letter to employers last week be-
ginning with philosophical dissert-
alton from a two-by-four professor of
economics in Vanderbilts university
at Nashville. The prof" talks about
freedom" beautiful, ineffable free
dom. In this he, a Vanderbilt hack
saw, sounds almost like an anarchist
who pretends he is an l. w. w. Here
is his contribution to the open shop:
Capitalist Philosophy Called
"The chief cornerstone of the
American theory of industrial life is
the freedom of the individual. Free
dom of the individual includes the
right of person to work anywhere
he pleases under the American flag.
Freedom Of the individual to sell his
labor to anybody, anywhere, at any
time. Freedom to buy the labor and
products of others without let or
hindrance or restriction from any
source"
Isn't this nice philosophy? Per-
fectly splendid! But for the some
where near 100000 unemployed the
freedom of the individual to sell his
labor to anybody, anywhere, at any
time" seems like horse with bro
ken back Nobody can ride the darn
ed critter, nor sell his labor"-be-
cause the capitalists own the jobs
and don't make any offers for the
free but starving workers to pick up
The same way with the freedom to
buy "the products of others" without
restriction from any source. Products
are piling up in the warehouses, or
factories are running short time on
the excuse that there is no market;
yet millions Of people want such pro-
ducts and are certainly restricted
lIOH DuyluB lhelu ny INC mibcidDAc
scab wages paid by open shop en-
ployers. The professors freedoms"
seem to be all balled up.
"Arise In Your Might"
Captain H. H. Anderson, the initials
probably being for Handsome Harry,
lays down the law in three closely
typed pages, explaining why building
contractors should fight the unions.
The captain" becomes militant, even
violent. He says, and he says it
twice:
Cannot our eitizenry arise in their
might and follow the examples that
are laid down by our sister cities?"
The captain" arises in his might
and points out that scab towns are
beating Kansas City in drawing new
business concerns" This might not
be so attractive to the concerns al
ready located there. And then the
captain" finishes up by quoting the
citizens alliance of st. Paul to prove
that he is an excellent instructor in
the fine art Of scab herding and union
batting.