The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-08-26
BY RQQZY

conquering armies in the history of
the world have had their reverses, and
the labor movement cannot expect to
be an exception to that rule. Each de-
feat acts as a trenchant warning to the
toilers of America that error must be
avoided, that intelligence must prevail,
and that no success can come to them
unless it is through their own efforts
and their own organization, and by
their presidency manifested.
Pessimism results in Indifference,
lethargy and impotency and this in
turn simply permits the corporations
and trusts and the entire capitalist
class to fitch from the toiler rights
which have been dearly bought.
The organizations of labor must be
thorough and complete and above all
must be permanent. Those organiza
lions which arise like flash in the
pan only go to show how arduous is
the struggle before the toiler, in order
to overcome the antagonism of the
wealth-producing classes of our coun-
try.
Today more than ever the toilers
recognize how essentially they are
thrown upon their own resources; that
they have few if any outside their own
ranks who sympathize with them in
their efforts for the emancipation of
mankind.
ToiIers, organize. Let US carry on
the good work and in few more revo-
lutions of the earth upon it's axis we
shall have a better world-a better
mankind. Waiting will not accomplish
it; deferring till another time will not
secure it. Now is the time for the
workers of America to come to the
standard of their unions and to organ
ize as thoroughly, completely and COM
pactly as is possible. Let each worker
bear in mind the words of Longfellow:
I'm the worlds broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattlei
Be a hero in the strifer'
Written at a time when American
labor had not yet won the many vic
tories which have characterized its
progress during the past 40 years of
American economic history, that edi-
toriaI is a striking reflection of the
spirit of Labor Day, 1894, when the
greatest concern was for the rights of
labor" Since that time the compact
organization of American labor, for
which Mr.. Gompers uttered his plea,
has brought about amazing changes.
In some foreign countries revolu-
ton has failed to accomplish for Ia
Dor what a process of evolution has
accomplished for it in the United
States. Today the American worker
is the most prosperous of any in the
world, and he is the envy of wage
earnerS everywhere. And Labor Day,
1927. finds him still standing stead
tasty for the rights of labor" but
he is also conscious of the RESPONSE
bilities of labor as well. That sense
of responsibility was voiced recently
by one of it's leaders, John p. Frey,
president of the Ohio State Fedora
ton of Labor, when he said:
A portion of our obligation, our duty
to the great movement which we rep
resent, is to deal with employers with
whom we have friendly relations in
such a manner that we will not only
retain their full confidence, but by ex-
ample lead other employers to realize
that not only as a matter of justice,
but as matter of individual advan-
tage to themselves, it is to their in
terest to establish friendly working
relations with trade union organiza-
tions of their employees. If
our trade union movement is to fulfill
the purpose for which it exists, its poll
icies, it's methods, it's attitude must be
such as to win and retain the conf
dence and good will of the majority of
employers Trade union members,
trade union discipline and the mill
tant spirit are essential to our well
fare, but a trade union movement de-