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Output, apprenticeship, wages,
hours, and so on, are not the “em
ployer’s business” alone; the em
ployes are concerned in them, and
hence such matters should be s t
tled by agreement, by discussion, by
friendly conference, and in a spirit
of mutual respect and good will.
As to the charge of “terrorizing
the President, Congress,” courts,
and so on, it is as impudent as it is
ridiculous.
Are the manufacturers and mer
chants to have a monopoly of the
right to present their demands to
Congress and the Executive, to pass
resolutions, to approve and disap
prove records of public men, to vote
or refuse to vote for candidates for
public office?
What about the lobbies of the
manufacturers at the national and
state capitals?
What about their efforts to defeat
labor legislation? What about their
position pro or con regarding tariff
legislation and numbers of other
questions?
When manufacturers appear be
fore executive or legislative bodies,
they are within their rights as cit
izens, but when union labor does
this, it is guilty of seeking to “ter
rorize the government,” and a great
outrage is committed, so that a mil
lion and a half dollar fund becomes
necessary in order to attack the terri
ble evil! Such hypocrisy is nauseat
ing.
No wonder, as we have said, that
even daily papers that are not at all
generous, or even decently fair, as a
rule, in their treatment of organized
labor, could not swallow the sicken
ing cant and rubbish of the conven
tion, and criticised the Van Cleave
address, the fund scheme, and the
whole spirit of the proceedings. Even
the Wall Street Journal said this
about the fund:
“This is the wrong way to grap
ple with the problem. Co-operation,
not war, should be the program. It
were better to adopt the suggestion
of Secretary Straus and invite the
leaders of organized labor to meet
with the manufacturers for joint
consultation and action. Organized
labor is here to stay, as organized
capital is.”
But the convention was not only
reactionary on the subject of organ
ized labor, but proved its fanatical
bourbonism by declarations on sev
eral other matters. Mr. Van Cleave
wanted free importation of contract
labor and objected to certain rulings
of the Department of Commerce and
Labor on recent southern immigra
tion cases —rulings made under the
present law. He wants protection
for his goods, but a free market in
cheap labor. He also objected to
child labor legislation and alleged
that the so-called evils of child la
bor are greatly exaggerated by med
dlers and reformers. The census
statistics, he claimed, were inaccu
rate and misleading, and as a mat
ter of fact this country, including
the South, is a paradise for child
workers.
To this sort of a convention, Sec
retary Straus preached the gospel of
high wages, of reason, of justice to
labor, of conciliation and trade
agreements. Before whom was he
casting his pearls? He was treated
politely, but we would wager the
WATSON’S. WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN.
Van Cleave-Post-Parry gentry con
sider him a dangerous radical, an
agitator, an enemy of capital and
“vested” interests.
But, after all, is there not some
thing concealed behind the scheme
to raise a war fund of a million and
a half dollars —something benea'h
even the pretended cause given by
Van Cleave and endors d by h;s cap
italist organization? Is it not true
that there lurks in his mind, and in
the minds of those who approved his
plan, the thought, prompted by the
hope, that the organizations of labor
may be crushed out of existence
within the next three years?
Surely, the bitterness of the ti
rades indulged in by Van Cleave, by
Parry, and by other Van Cleaves and
Parrys, with other names, gives good
ground for the suspicion that union
crushing is their dream and th ir
goal.. And justified, as we are, in
discerning this as their real motive
and purpose, it might not be am ss
for the would-be union crushers to
bear in mind the following:
With every attempt to annihilate
it Labor has emerged more intelli
gent, more thoroughly organized,
and better equipped to contend for
its rights.
Union-haters ought to study the
history of industry and the historic
development of the labor movement,
not only of this country, but of the
whole world. They would then learn
that in the early days—
When a workman underti ck to
seek another employer, he was re
garded by the law as a thief who
robbed the employer of his labor.
He was branded with hot irons,
imprisoned and put to death for
that offense.
If two or more men discussed th a
question of wages or conditions of
employment with a view to their bet
terment, it was a conspiracy punish
able by imprisonment and death.
Ruleis, employers, and mercban s
were in league to tyrannize over the
laborers and prevent any realization
by the worker of his ownership of
himself.
Up to recent times the term “mas
ter and servant” was the only con
ception of the relations between
workmen and their employers and
was upheld by governmental .power
and judicial process.
- Even a brief survey of the long
past as well as of comparatively re
cent times will show that immense
fortunes have been util’zed to pre
vent the growth or to crush out t' e
spirit of associated effort among the
working people.
The man with the receding fore
head and bent back, the “Man with
the Hoe,” does not in any way typ
ify either the character or the spir
it of the American workman.
The American workman stand
with head erect, clear-eyed, and
stout-hearted, realizing the advan
tages that have come to him and hi *
by associated, organized effort with
his fellows.
Those benefits and advantages
which have come to the Amer can
workmen in their homes and in their
lives have not been brought to them
upon silver platters nor by the sym
pathetic condescension of the em
ploying class. They have ben
achieved by the constantly growing
intelligence and organization of the
workers. This consciousness is so
deep-seated, their determination to
stand together and to organize t e
yet unorganized of their fellow-work
ers so strong, that the Van Cleave-
Post-Parry aggregation may bring
to bear their war fund tenfold in
creased and it will but instill into
the minds of America’s toilers a
still greater persistency and a more
grim determination to stand by their
ennobling purposes under the proud
banner of organized labor.
Loyal as any in our country are
the organized woikingmen of Ameri
ca; more loyal than the president of
the employers’ association of Chica
go, who refused to salute the flag of
our country; more loyal in the sup
port of our country in time of stress
or storm, than any member the Vai
Cleave outfit can boast.
Three years from now the ti >?
will have expired when the million
and a half dollar capitalist war fund
is expected to have completed i s
work. We are neither a prophet nor
the son of a prophet, but we opine
that in May, 1910, the organizations
of labor, instead of having been di
minished in numbers or influence, or
having been driven out of exis'ence,
will have developed iy)t only double
their present strength, but will als
exert greater power and inline c
for the common gcJbd than at an
time previous to that period.
Van Cleave, Parry, Post, pin th s
in your hat, and if you live unt'l
then, see if your hopes are achieved
or our prediction verified. The labor
movement lives not only for our time
but for the future. —Samuel Com
pels, in American Federalionist.
BREAKING A SETTING HEN.
Because a hen wants to set and you
don’t want her to is no reason that
you should abuse her by grabbing
her by the head and throwing her
forcibly from the nest or by ducking
her in a barrel of cold? water. It is
just as easy to break her desire to
incubate by gentle treatment, says
the Western Agriculturist. One of
the best ways is to take-a clean, dry
coop with a bottom made of board
slats, having a tight roof to protect
her from the rain. Feed her oat'
and potato cut into small bits and
give her plenty of water, tak’ng
away all fattening food. A hen
that is fat has more inclination to be
come broody.
Another plan is to confine her in
a reasonably small coop in company
with a vigorous cockerel for from
four to five days. After a few days
she can be let out early in the morn
ing about time the other fowls are
coming off the roost. As soon as she
forsakes the habit of g< ing on the
nest .at night she will get ready to
lay again. Above all things do not
half kill a hen in order to cure her.
The title to 6,000,000 acres of land,
claimed by the Southern Pacific road,
is being called into question by the
government, which is now investi
gating land fiauds in the West. The
charge is made that the railroad com
pany lias failed to comply with the
terms of the original and amended
grant back in the early 60’s. The
same conditions confront the Union
Pacific and millions of acres in Col
orado may be involved in the litiga
tion.
WANTED—Young men and young wo
men to prepare for positions paying
from SSO to $l5O per month. Posi
tions guaranteed; railroad fare paid.
WHEELER BUSINESS COLLEGE,
Birmingham, Ala.
Special Rates
Expire September 1, *O7
FAIR WARNING, FRIENDS!
The special rates offered to agents,
club-raisers and subscribers END
WITH AUGUST.
On and after Sept. 1, 1907, the reg
ular prices and commissions will be
in force again.
Bear this in mind, Friends, and
jump into the band-wagon NOW.
/Uu 1/7-—U.— ~ r 'jT
7/? asupoas Oß Ta ALL,
Because it is 30 per cent briefer,
more legible, and can be learned in
one-half the time. We will prove
these claims or give you a course free
in any of the old systems. All com
mercial branches taught by experts.
Write for catalogu. WAYCROSS BUS
INESS COLLEGE, Waycross, Ga.
BOYS WANTED
In every town to solicit subscribers
for
Watson’s Weekly
Highest commission paid.
Write today for samples. Address
Watson’s Weekly, 608 Temple Court,
Atlanta, Ga.
Dewberry’s Delight.
If you are not enjoying good health
it is your own fault, as “Dewberry’s
Delight” is within the reach of every
one, as those who are really not able
to buy a bottle can get a trial bottle
free of charge by calling or writing
to the office, 231-2 Whitehall street,
Atlanta, Ga.
“Dewberry’s Delight” is just what
you need at this season of the year
to remove that foul waste matter from
the system, so you can sleep and
rest, which is the only way you can
restore the nerve force, by good sound
sleep. So you see how essential it
is to keep the liver, bowels and kid
neys right, to keep the system clear
of waste matter which obstructs the
nerve force and paves the way for all
diseases.
All druggists sell it
TOM WATSON’S WEEKLY
and
WM. J. BRYAN’S PAPER
Both for $1.50
Mr. Bryan is the most conspicuous
figure in American politics today. He
is more —he is a World Figure. His
views on men and things are awaited
with interest in foreign countries as
well as at home. THE COMMONER
is his medium of communication with
the world; but it is more than a per
sonal organ, for it covers the whole
realm of political thought Hence, no
one, whether a follower or an oppo
nent of Bryan’s doctrine, can fail to
be interested in the columns of this
famous paper.
Address
WATSON’S WEEKLY I)
JEFFERSONIAN, 1
Atlanta, Ga. r’Jl
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