You ought to be out raising hell. This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes.
-Mother Jones
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Wednesday May 24, 1905
From the Chicago Inter Ocean: Labor Editor Luke Grant on the Industrial Unionists
Father Thomas J. Hagerty
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Luke Grant, labor editor of the
Inter Ocean, took on the subject of the upcoming convention of Industrial Unionist in his column this past Sunday. He had this to say about the intentions of those who favor establishing a new labor body based on industrial organization:
The whole scheme is chimerical and intended to drag the workers into the mire of politics. The new union would simply be a tail to the socialist kite; indeed, that is all that the dreamers who are advocating it hope for.
Grant took particular aim at Father Hagerty's "wheel of fortune," subjecting Hagerty's proposed chart of industrial organization to much ridicule.
The American Labor Union, one of the organizations involved in planing the upcoming convention, also found itself skewered by Grant's sharp pen.
Below the fold our readers can find those portions of Luke Grant's column which pertain to the convention of industrial unionists now scheduled to be held in Chicago on June 27th.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean of May 21, 1905:
IN THE WORLD OF TRADE AND LABOR UNIONS.
-BY LUKE GRANT.
WITH the near approach of the convention of the great industrial union which the dreamers in the American Labor Union and the Western Federation of Miners expect to revolutionize industrial affairs, it might be well for organizations contemplating sending delegates to look closely into the affair.
The convention will be held in Chicago on June 27, and some of the delegates who have theories on saving the world, but who are not connected with labor unions which will pay their expenses, are already on the way for this city. It is a long walk from the Pacific coast to Chicago, but with some of the "cranks" it is "get there or bust."
Circulars are being distributed broadcast, showing just how easy it is to have an industrial union on the lines proposed. Thomas Hagerty, who was formerly a priest, and who was never connected with a labor union in his life and knows nothing of the practical workings of a labor organization, has drawn a chart, showing how the different workers will be united on industrial lines.
This chart, which is being distributed, explaining the plan, is a wonder in more ways than one. It contains eight chief departments, which are subdivided into thirty-eight subdivisions. If the plan was carried out every one of the international unions now existing would be cut up and partitioned out according to Mr. Hagerty's fantastical notions. The teamsters, instead of being in one organization, would be in seventeen, and other unions, like the engineers, would fare even worse. This is the great solidarity plan with a vengeance.
The chart looks like a sort of wheel of fortune, with the unions plastered all over it wherever they happened to strike after being thrown on the wheel by Mr. Hagerty. There is a good deal of humor in the scheme, too, although no one up to this time has accused Mr. Hagerty of being a practical joker.
Father Hagerty's Wheel as it appeared in the April 20th edition of Miners Magazine.
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For instance, in the Department of Agriculture, in the subdivision of floriculture, we find it begins with gardeners, landscape gardeners, and steamfitters, in the order named. Just why Mr. Hagerty put the steamfitters and the gardeners in one division is hard to understand. Probably he got the idea from the fact that our friend "Honest" John Mangan, who is a steamfitter, attended the last convention of the American Federation of Labor as a delegate from a gardeners' and florists' union in Chicago. Or perhaps it is because steam and hot water pipers are necessary in conservatories, but whatever the reason is, they are there, anyway.
The engineers, according to Mr. Hagerty's idea, would be in twenty-seven different divisions, and at that he has missed a few.
Mr. Hagerty seems to have overlooked an important point. He should have placed the bridge and structural iron workers and the dentists together, as both do bridge work. The butchers and the barbers might also be placed in the same column, as the one shaves pig's feet and the other shaves men's faces. The paper hangers and the bill posters should also have been put together, as both of them hang paper on dead walls.
The cigar-makers are placed with the cigarette-makers, and all classed in the department of the distribution of food stuffs. Samuel Gompers believes this idea came from the fact that many cigar-makers have a habit of chewing cigars.
Taking it all together, the chart is "fearfully and wonderfully constructed," and just what sort of an organization will be formed next month no one except Mr. Hagerty and Mother Jones can tell.
An interesting thing about the convention is that official letters sent out concerning it reveal the financial standing of the American Labor union, which has always boasted about being the only organization that paid strike benefits to its members.
In its official organ and elsewhere the American Labor union has invited workers to sever their connection with their old organizations and get into the only one that is able to do them any good. It always pays its obligations promptly, according to its officers, but the following letter sent to members with a great deal of secrecy will show whether the claim is true or not:
To the International, National, and Local Unions of the American Labor Union.
-Fellow Workers: The situation of affairs in our organization is such that the executive board, now in session, deems it important that the general membership be informed of the same so that intelligent action can be taken on the matters referred to consideration and vote.
President McDonald resigned as president and has been succeeded by Brother John Riordan, a member of the board. Both Brothers McDonald and Smith have been retained as members of the Board, and Brother McDonald made general organizer of the organization.
The books, accounts, and conditions of the organization have been carefully audited and considered and found correct. Owing to the great expense of the organization during the past two years we find the general fund in debt in the amount of about $5,000. This, together with the expense of board meeting, sending delegates to the Industrial union convention of June 27, 1905, and other immediate expenses estimated outside of the usual expenses of the organization, makes a total probable indebtedness in the neighborhood of $8,000. This amount is the figure the board has decided it is necessary to raise to clear off all debts, and put the organization in a position to go into the new movement clear of any obligation. Then, too, the Hope lumbermen's strike is fast depleting our strike defense fund, and some money will be necessary to carry wage controversies to a successful issue.
Our organization is in a good, fighting, healthy condition, and it will be easy to raise the amount of money fixed above without a heavy burden upon any member, by every member realizing the true conditions of affairs and through his patriotism to the organization and its grand work, by promptly paying his or her small portion of this sum.
To this end the board has levied an assessment of 25 cents per member per month, beginning with the month of May, and continuing monthly until the desired amount is raised and this is official notice to the unions of the levying of such assessment. If all unions respond promptly, the indebtedness can be paid during the month of May; if not, then easily during June, so the assessments will not extend over two months.
Our unions have voted to go into the new Industrial union movement, which convention has been called to meet at Chicago on June 27, and to send ten delegates to such convention. Owing to the large expense of sending these delegates the board will recommend that if the returns of the assessment herewith levied are sufficient that the ten delegates be sent to the convention. But if not, then only the five delegates receiving the highest number of votes shall be sent, and the other five be alternates, according to the number of votes received by each. We trust that the entire ten delegates can be sent. But we wish affairs to be known before the delegates are elected, so that there will be no misunderstanding if only the five delegates receiving the highest number of votes are furnished funds from general headquarters to attend the industrial convention. Notification for nominations and ballots for election of these delegates will be sent you as speedily as possible.
The closeness of the Industrial union convention and the fact that our membership have voted to go into it, and the further fact that if such new movement is successfully launched the A. L. U. will become and integral part of it, leaves us in such condition that the board deems it advisable that the question of postponing the biennial convention of the A. L. U. (which would be held this year on June 18) until after the Industrial union convention is held and its results known, and be submitted to the general membership for referendum vote. In the meantime nominations for general officers, call for convention, and election of delegates to the A. L. U. convention will be postponed.
Fraternally yours,
D. C. COATES, General President.
REES DAVIS, Vice President.
JOHN RIORDAN, General Sec.-Treas.
DANIEL M'DONALD, CHARLES MOYER,
M. E. WHITE, GEORGE ESTES,
CLARENCE SMITH, W. F. WALTON,
J. M. CLEMENTS, F. W. OTT.
JOHN W. DALE,
Daniel McDonald, formerly president of the American Labor union, resigned some time ago to engage in mining. At least that is the reason he gave the writer of this column for his resignation, but it appears from the foregoing letter that he is still active as an organizer in the movement which is intended not to benefit the workers, but to disrupt old and tried labor organizations. The whole scheme is chimerical and intended to drag the workers into the mire of politics. The new union would simply be a tail to the socialist kite; indeed, that is all that the dreamers who are advocating it hope for.
[The Texas State Federation of Labor on the W. F. of M.]
The Texas State Federation of Labor, which closed its annual session in Denison a few days ago, has placed itself squarely on record as to where it stands on the formation of the so called industrial organization, which it is proposed to form at a convention to be held in this city next month.
A representative of the Western Federation of Miners, which is behind the industrial movement, was refused admission to the convention of the Texas state branch, and resolutions were adopted, which are being sent to all central bodies throughout the country. The resolutions read:
Whereas, The Texas State Federation of Labor believes that none of the time of organizations affiliated with the American Federation of Labor should be devoted to hearing the arguments or pleas of representatives of dual organizations or of representatives of organizations antagonistic to the American Federation of Labor, or that assistance should be given to organizations that are attempting to form dual organizations to the American Federation of Labor; and
Whereas, The Texas State Federation of Labor did exclude and refuse to recognize one W. H. Leonard, representative of Western Federation of Miners, for above reason; be it
Resolved, That this convention appoint a committee of three to compile data covering the actions of this convention, and that a copy of same be mailed to the headquarters of every international and national body affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, with the recommendation that similar action be taken by all organizations when occasions of this kind arise.
The convention refused to contribute any financial aid to the Western Federation of Miners, and scored the disrupptionists in the following language:
It was the opinion of the convention, knowing that similar occasions would arise in other like conventions and like bodies, that the action of the Texas State Federation of Labor, which has more good laws to its credit and bad laws defeated than any similar organization in the United States, would be a precedent that would be wise to follow.
In view of these facts, the Texas State Federation of Labor, which has always held true allegiance to the American Federation of Labor, is unalterably opposed to the action of the officers of the Western Federation of Miners, who are endeavoring to form a dual organization (for which purpose a convention has been called in the city of Chicago in the month of June), and who are sending emissaries throughout the country with the hope of securing the co-operation of disgruntled political schemers, thinking thereby to create discord in the ranks of organized labor and gain for themselves converts and retard our present movement.
[Photographs added.]
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SOURCE
The Inter Ocean
(Chicago, Illinois)
-May 21, 1905
(Also source for image of union bug.)
http://www.newspapers.com/...
IMAGES
Father Thomas J Haggerty
http://www.iww.org/...
Father Hagerty's Wheel,
Miners Magazine, April 20, 1905
http://www.gutenberg.org/...
American Labor Union, letterhead, April 1905
https://books.google.com/...
Western Federation of Miners Button
http://www.nps.gov/...
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One Big Industrial Union - May Day Chorus of Asheville
PAINT 'ER RED!
Come with us you workingmen and join the rebel band
Come you discontented ones and lend a helping hand
We march against the parasite to drive him from the land
With One Big Industrial Union
Chorus:
Hurrah! hurrah! we're gonna paint 'er red!
Hurrah! hurrah! The way is clear ahead!
We're gaining shop democracy and liberty and bread
With One Big Industrial Union.
In factory and field and mine we gather in our might
We're on the job and know the way to win our hardest fight
For the beacon that shall guide us out of darkness into light
Is One Big Industrial Union.
Come on you fellows, get in line, we'll fill the boss with fears
Red's the colour of our flag, it's stained with blood and tears,
We'll flout it in his ugly mug and raise our loudest cheers
For One Big Industrial Union.
"Slaves", they call us, "working plugs", inferior by birth
But when we hit their pocketbooks, we'll spoil their smiles of mirth
We'll stop their dirty dividends and drive them from the earth
With One Big Industrial Union.
We hate their rotten system more than any mortals do
Our aim is not to patch it up but build it all anew
And what we'll have for government when finally we're through
Is One Big Industrial Union.
-Ralph Chaplin/Elmer Rumbaugh
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