LABOR OR POLITICAL UNIONS.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 503, 6 September 1890, Page 2

LABOR OR POLITICAL UNIONS.

[TO THE EDITOR.] Sir,—Your correspondent Observer, like a great many other peop'e, admires the principle of Labor Unions, but shrinks from them directly their tenets are put Into practice. A parallel is found in the case of those persons who profess a profound regard for the principles of Christianity, but, because it is not quite convenient, refrain from putting them into practice. Now, an Union of any kind is useless without it has the power to back up their demauds, and if there are some persons who can only understand things when they have ocular demonstration, it sometimes becomes necessary to convince those shortsighted people by the only method by which they will be convinced. Whether the time has arrived for a display of strength, is a matter upon which those at headquarters are the best judges, and unless a peop'e has confidence in i's leaders, it would be better not to unite at all. Everyone has a right to express his opinion, but an opinion on a question which requires such special knowledge as the present dispute, and requires to be viewed from so many different standpoints, is simply valueless unless those requirenents are fulfilled. This is the nature of a good many of the opinions entertained by thoughtless, though inconvenienced, peop'e. I am glad Observer has a real desire to see matters settled on a satisfactory basis. His letter is singularly free from those dogmatic assertions that the strikers have no grievance which a great many of the newspaper correspondents indulge in. lam afraid though, he is mistaken in suggesting political unions to take the place of labor unions. The labor unions as at present constituted embrace all shades of politics. Laborers have found that they can combine onmatters affecting labor, and yet not differ on political, religious, and other questions. Political influence may certainly go a great way, but those who are in Parliament, if they perform their duty properly, should watch not only the interests of the laborers, but also the interest of every class in the country. A man who must thus have several strings to his bow cannot possibly give all his attention tn those whose vote elected him—presuming him to be elected in the labor interest. He must devote his time to the general government of the country. Labor unions on the other hand give labor their sole attention, and instead of siding with this or that party, endeavor, irrespective of .political feelings, to have the wrongs of labor righted. When there are parties in Labor Unions, they will become as useless as Parliament to deal adequately with labor troubles. Legislation to fix a laborer’s wages has been already tried, and failed. Labor Unions, with the assistance of public opinion, do what Parliament could never do.—l am, Ac., A Sympathiser with Unionism.