- - gº º DIVIDED WE FALL THROUGH FAVORITISM i - - Sy N. - - E. - - - - - - i: º: - -- - - - - - | 3. º - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - º - - - - $0. & - DETROIT : - PRINTED BY J. R. BURTON, 46 WEST LARNED street. ------------------------ -º-º-º-º-º- -- -- ----------------- ... & Žº: " " " - - - - º - º --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL THROUGH EQUITY THROUGH FAVORITISM AND PROSPERITY. AND POVERTY. THE SYNDICATE OF |NCORPORATED I, ABOR ASSO(IATIOI)S BY JAMES THIERRY. DETROIT : PRINTED BY J. R. BURTON, 46 west LARNED STREET. . PREFACE. In order to stimulate the student to extra exertion, the professor will tell him that the essential elements of success in life are excel- lence and integrity. Later, however, he finds out, only too often, that he has been duped, and that favoritism, not equity, rules the world. In his disappointment and grief he blames the government for his wrongs, when, in fact, the very laws that have done and are doing so much for capital and monopoly will serve him "equally well, provided he will avail himself of the advantages they offer, and that are within the reach of all. - Why, then, should the workers organize into factions only to tyrannize over and destroy one another? 6 When we shall have learned to mind our own business, individually and collectively, the hour of our deliverance will be near. In the following lines I am trying to show that we may bring to the labor camp harmony and success, free from tyranny, merely by elim- inating the temptation for office-seeking, plot- ting and stealing, and may check the insatiable spirit of greed by assuring the reward of honest industry: Brothers O ! why hug that infernal gold For which the souls of men are sold, When all that which most dear we hold Would be returned to us for gold 2 Brothers | "Let us despise enslaving gold For which the best of us are sold; Let us exchange our fiendish gold For Liberty and a Freehold JAMES THIERRY. LARAMIE CITY, Wyoming TERRITORY, January 1, 1889. The solution of the social question can only be found in the emancipation of labor; and the secret of the emancipation, which so many reformers and organizations try to discover, lies simply in free co-operation. The following pages contain a plan carefully studied, the aim of which is to teach the workers how to put free co-operation in practice, and thus establish the true Brotherhood of men. This plan cannot fail to attract the attention of those who are interested in the fate of the toilers, and ultimately convince them that it deserves a fair trial. CAROLINE DE MAUPASSANT. LARAMIE CITY, Wyoming TERRITORY, March 14, 1889. THE SYNDICATE OF INCORPORATED LABOR ASSOCIATIONS. BY JAMES THIERRY. Zo the Organized Zabor of Zhe Wor/d/; BROTHERS AND SistERs—In accordance with the unavoidable process of evolution, the spirit of the ancient trade unions has come down to us so much improved and free from superstition that we no longer trust in the marvelous power of petitions, immaculate legislation and the ballot—that cruel whip with which the toilers unconsciously lash themselves. Many are aware of this, and sell their votes only because they know they are good for nothing else. Nor is there relief in the tariff question, no matter in what form; and the Australian system of voting will do no good as long as the blind shall lead 9 the blind, and their ballots can be successfully met with bullets. Even the benefits of an eight- hour law would be too insignificant for appre- ciation, as may be seen in Australia, where, in spite of a prodigal Nature and the operation of both the unsaleable ballot and the eight-hour law, the toilers vegetate in the most frightful misery. Where, then, is the miraculous healing balm announced by the sages of the past, and that will bring immediate relief the moment we are aware of its presence? Listen | We have all had dreams of wealth, liberty and independence, the best of which may be realized provided one million (1,000,- ooo) can be found amongst us sufficiently ad- vanced to contribute about five (5) cents per day for that purpose. There would be nothing hazardous about this, as we should need no accommodating laws specially designed in our favor—merely by turning capitalists and mon- IO opolists we shall pass into the camp of the most favored class and be equally protected. And why should we not do so? There is no odium attached to their condition. They feed upon the fat of the land— The very best they always command. Why, then, load ourselves with unbearable burdens, only to be treated as malefactors, when it is so easy and alluring to grow rich and respected simply by conforming to the laws, which may be all in our favor the moment we so decide, instead of spending our energies in foolish attempts to modify or repeal them. Dear friends, I am far from jesting, as you will know when freed from the distrust of knaves and the fear of wolves. What we call failures are only progressive steps leading to success, and it is much on that account that it has become possible to agree on an equitable plan, in harmony with our mutual welfare, without interfering with the internal II arrangement and independence of any trade union, labor assembly or other labor organiza- tion, merely by removing the apple of discord so skilfully thrown by heartless plotters. The following draft of an agreement may convince that the situation is not hopeless—nay, quite the reverse: CONSTITUTION OF THE S Y N ID I C A T E. OF INCORPORATED LABOR ASSO(|MTIONS, ARTICLE I. We, the undersigned trustees of the corpora- tions named below, hereby agree to pledge our support, for said corporations, to the present agreement, to be known as the “Constitution of the Syndicate of Incorporated Labor Asso- ciations,’’ for the establishment or conduct of a bureau or agency to facilitate inter-corporate exchange and intercourse. ARTICLE II. Said bureau or agency shall consist of seven (7) agents equitably elected, as provided below, I3 and who shall have no authority or control over said corporations, nor the power of issuing notes or orders, nor of manipulating their funds, either for corporate or inter-corporate purposes. ARTICLE III. Said agents shall be elected by said corpora- tions as follows: - SECTION I. Each of said corporations shall meet at a given day and time, and equitably elect one delegate by each member present inscribing his ballot with the name of one can- didate, and depositing the same into their ballot box. After mixing said ballots, the first one drawn shall give the name of said delegate. SEC. 2. At a given day and time, said dele- gates shall meet in some central locality and equitably elect one delegate-secretary; one first assistant delegate-secretary, and one second assistant delegate-secretary in the same manner as prescribed in Article III., Section I, the first, I4 second and third ballots drawn giving the names of delegate-secretary, first and second assistants in the order they are drawn. SEC. 3. Said delegates will now immediately proceed to the election of said agents by each delegate inscribing his ballot with the name of one candidate and depositing the same into the ballot box. After the mixing of the ballots the first one drawn by the first assistant, opened by the second assistant, and read aloud by the delegate-secretary, shall give the name of the agent-secretary; the following six names, drawn in the same manner, shall be those of the first and second assistant agent-secretaries and the other four agents. SEC. 4. Should the drawing of all the ballots give less than seven different names, then the last proceedings of the ballot would be repeated to complete the list. SEC. 5. The delegate-secretary, after deliver- ing to each agent a certificate of election, signed I5 by himself and his first and second assistants, will declare the meeting adjourned without fur- ther proceedings. ARTICLE IV. In order to procure the funds required by said corporations for free co-operative purposes, the financial Secretary of each of said corporations shall collect five (5) cents a day from each member for a co-operative fund, and turn the same over to its treasurer. ARTICLE V. At the end of each month said financial secre- taries shall report to the agent-secretary the amount collected by each, when said agents will proceed as follows: SECTION I. The agent-secretary will send to the trustees of said corporations a printed cir- cular containing a statement of the co-operative funds accumulated by each, and also of the total amount, of that month, to be disposed of to bidders on conditions named below. I6 SEC. 2. Bids will be accepted only from associations incorporated at least one year. SEC. 3. Those corporations wishing to bid for said funds, or part of the same, will proceed without delay to the election of one delegate each, as detailed in Article III., Sec. I. SEC. 4. The delegates thus elected will pro- ceed as prescribed in Article III., Sec. 2. SEC. 5. Each bid will give the amount and for what purpose desired, and only those required for free co-operative investment, as per contract given below, will be accepted and recorded by the delegate-secretary, and imme- diately deposited into the ballot box by the delegates holding the same. SEC. 6. After mixing the bids, they will be drawn by the first assistant delegate, opened by the second assistant delegate, and recorded and read aloud by the delegate-secretary. The bids will be awarded in the order they are drawn, I 7 and the drawing of bids will be limited by the amount of funds on hand. SEC. 7. Said funds being all disposed of, the delegate-secretary will give each winning dele- gate a certificate signed by himself and assist- ants, and stating the amount his corporation is entitled to and for what purpose, and then, without further proceedings, will adjourn the meeting. ARTICLE VI. The corresponding secretaries of the winning corporations will send, without delay, said cer- tificates to the agent-secretary, who will deliver them contracts, as below, in duplicate, signed by himself and the other agents, each contract and duplicate to be signed by the trustees of the corporation entitled to the same, said duplicate to be returned to the agent-secretary. ARTICLE VII. Upon reception of said duplicates, properly signed, the agent-secretary will send the ad- 18 dresses of banks conveniently located for the business of said corporations, who will be allowed to draw the funds awarded them in the following manner: SECTION I. All checks for funds issued by the agent-secretary in favor of a corporation entitled to the same, to be null and void unless signed by himself and the other said agents and the trustees of said corporation named in said - checks. SEC. 2. Checks on banks, associations, or individuals will be issued by the agent-secretary and signed by himself and the other said agents, only to cancel due bills for labor or materials furnished to the corporation named in said bills for free co-operative purposes, as per signed contract. Said due bills must be signed by the claimants and the trustees of said corporation, and left with said agent-secretary. I9 ARTICLE VIII. - After the full signing of said contracts and duplicates, the agent-secretary will, without delay, inform the treasurers as to what banks they will immediately transfer the funds pre- viously reported by their financial secretaries, taking a receipt for the same. ARTICLE IX. Said due bills shall be preserved by the agent- secretary and considered liens upon the property they represent, and a reasonable time will be allowed to redeem the same gradually. As soon as any corporation shall have redeemed said due bills there shall be no claim against the same, except seven (7) per cent. per annum interest on the funds previously advanced, which interest, being then capitalized, will draw interest at the same rate; said capital and interest to be due, as per contract, only on condition of wilful violation of said contract by said corporation. 2O ARTICLE X. All amounts remaining in said banks at the end of twelve (12) months from the signing of said contracts will be offered to bidders in the same way as said five-cent contributions, unless the lacking corporations have their time pro- longed another twelve months, and so on, as long as there shall be no wilful violation of contract on their part, until their full awards shall have been withdrawn. ARTICLE XI. Said agents shall be elected for one year, or until replaced by their successors, who may be elected at any time when required to adjust difficulties. ARTICLE XII. The present constitution may be revised and amended by the delegates at their annual meet- ings for the election of agents, provided said corporations unanimously consent to their re- vision, and at the end of every twenty years 2 I with the consent of at least one-third of said corporations. ARTICLE XIII. In the event of a revision, each amendment proposed must have been discussed for at least three months before considering the same at said annual meetings. ARTICLE XIV. There shall be no discussion of the proposed amendments by the delegates, but each shall be decided separately by the equitable ballot, in the order called out by the delegate-secretary, each delegate inscribing his ballot “Yes” or “No,” and depositing the same into the ballot box. After mixing, the first ballot drawn by the first assistant delegate, opened by the second assistant delegate, and read aloud and recorded by the delegate-secretary, shall decide the ques- tion for that amendment until the next revision of said constitution. 22 The foregoing brief sketch of an instrument, incomplete as it is, sufficiently shows the pos- sibility of providing against knavery; yet, to be fully understood, it must be carefully explained. This I will do, though I must begin with an outline of the contract mentioned above. It may help to throw light into darkness and cheer the heart that is hopeless: Inter-Ü0rporate Frêt (0-0perative Contract, WHEREAs, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($1oo, ooo) has been freely contributed by the corporations named below for free co- operative investment; and WHEREAs, the association represented by the undersigned trustees, and incorporated January 1st, 1888, for the purpose of buying flour, baking, selling and distributing bread, under 23 the name and title of “Free Co-operative Bakery 7 : for the People,” is desirous of accepting said sum of money, free of interest, to build and operate said bakery, on the following conditions: ARTICLE I. Said funds shall be deposited in the Cosmo- politan Bank of Hopedale. ARTICLE II. Checks on said bank must be issued by the inter-corporate agent-secretary, and signed by himself and the other inter-corporate agents and the trustees of said association: otherwise to be null and void. ARTICLE III. Said checks will be delivered by the inter- corporate agent-secretary only in exchange for due bills of the same amounts, signed by the claimants and the trustees of said association named in said due bills, when due for labor or materials destined for said bakery. 24 ARTICLE IV. Said due bills shall be considered liens upon the values and property they represent, and shall be redeemed in a reasonable time, which may be extended every twelve (12) months, provided there be no violation of the present contract on the part of said association or their trustees. - ARTICLE V. When said due bills shall have been redeemed there will be no claim against said association, except seven (7) per cent. per annum interest on the funds previously advanced, which interest shall then be capitalized and draw interest at the same rate; said principal and interest to become due at the time of violation of said con- tract by said association or their trustees. ARTICLE VI. The financial secretary of said association shall collect from each member of the same five - 25 (5) cents per day towards the inter-corporate co-operative fund, report the amount collected at the end of each month to the inter-corporate agent-secretary, and transfer the same to the treasurer of said association, to be sent by him to the bank designated, and at the time indi- cated by said inter-corporate agent-secretary. ARTICLE VII. Said five (5) cent contributions shall continue until every corporation pledged through its trustees shall have been supplied with free co- ºperative funds. ARTICLE VIII. As soon as said due bills shall have been re- deemed, said financial secretary shall collect and transfer to said treasurer twenty-five (25) cents per day from each member of said association, towards an insurance fund for the sole benefit of said members in case of sickness or disability, or when over sixty (60) years old. The allow- 26 ance shall be twenty dollars ($20) per month for the aged, and proportioned to time of confine- ment, at said rate, for the sick and disabled. ARTICLE IX. Said insurance may be revised and amended every five (5) years, provided at that time at least one-third (%) of said members demand the same, and said amendments be discussed for at least thirty (30) days before being decided by the equitable ballot for the next five (5) years. ARTICLE X. Said bakery shall be operated as follows: SECTION I. There shall be a sufficient num- ber of engineers to design, lay out and explain the work to the operatives. Said engineers shall have no authority or control over said operatives. SEC. 2. All work shall be offered by the en- gineers, and the operatives will select their portions of the same and adjust their rewards by 27 free competition, all work being paid by the piece where possible, and awarded to the lowest bidders. SEC. 3. When work is lacking for want of competition the engineers shall increase the reward for the same, if possible, or reduce the price of more attractive labor, so as to produce the desired equilibrium. SEC. 4. The time of labor per day shall . be fixed through the equitable ballot for one (1) year, and re-adjusted in the same manner at the end of each year, provided at least one-third (3/3) of said operatives should favor a discussion of said re-adjustment for at least thirty (30) days before deciding the same through the equitable ballot for another year. ARTICLE XI. All work, when completed, shall be delivered to the inspectors, if possible, who will examine and give credit for the same when accepted. 28 ARTICLE XII. Only those who can stand the required exam- ination will be allowed to compete as engineers, and then the lowest bidders shall secure the situations every five (5) years. ARTICLE XIII. Only those who can pass the required exam- ination will be allowed to compete as inspectors, and then the lowest bidders shall secure the situations for one (1) year. ARTICLE XIV. Should said engineers be accused of incapac- ity, or the inspectors of partiality or incapacity, and an investigation be demanded by at least one-third (%) of said operatives, the same would take place for at least thirty (30) days before being decided by the equitable ballot and said engineers or inspectors retained or dis. charged accordingly. 29 ARTICLE XIV. The affairs and operations of said free co- operative enterpriseshall be adjusted, distributed, operated and rewarded by means of the equit- able ballot and free competition, as above pro- vided, and no trustees or other members of this corporation shall have power to interfere, by rules or otherwise, with the provisions of the present contract. Therefore, we, the undersigned inter-corporate agents and trustees of and for said free co- operative bakery, hereby agree and bind our- selves: The above contract is based on principles carefully avoided by those who profit by the manipulations of rings and favoritism, and it may be safely asserted that they will give it a wide berth. We may now submit our ideal to the searching test of figures, only to find out that we are too modest, and far below the reality. 3o It is not my aim to blame the workers for not realizing what they did not understand, and had to learn by sad experience. I only wish to lay before them a plan so simple that all may understand it, even those who would need a microscope to study the labor question. In consulting the above constitution and con- tract we may assure ourselves that the chances for stealing and cheating may be so reduced as to be entirely neglected in our calculations. Why, then, should we hesitate in the investment of five (5) cents per day to acquire liberty and comfort in a reasonably short time? Would it not be a lamentable fact if, amongst the numerous labor organizations of this country, boasting of their intelligence and throwing away millions of dollars every year in chimerical efforts to free their necks from the hated yoke, not one million (I, ooo, ooo) could be found to save a few pennies for the sake of an experiment that promises so much with so little risk, and 3I the loss of which they would never feel, even though the affair proved a failure? A contribution of about five (5) cents a day each, by one million (I, ooo, ooo) contributors, would give twenty millions of dollars ($20,000,- ooo) the first year—enough to establish four hundred (400) corporations, with an allowance of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) each, free of interest, and to be returned in a reason- able time, which might be extended and the allowance increased when necessary. Their conditions of success would be such as no enterprise ever enjoyed before. Not only would they be free of rent and interest, which alone would almost ensure them against failure, but they would also find a ready market amongst the people by beginning with bakeries, butcher shops, shoe factories, millineries, laundries, farms, etc. It would not be unreasonable to allow ten (Io) years for the return of money, and suppose 32 our number doubled by that time. Our con- dition would then be so much improved that our contributions could be cheerfully raised to ten cents per day. Thus, after ten years, we should contribute eighty millions ($8o, ooo, ooo) per annum, and there would also be a return of twenty millions ($20,000,ooo) in the same time, which would give a total of one hundred mil- lions of dollars ($1 oo, ooo, ooo) to invest annu- ally for another decade. At the end of twenty (20) years our number would have doubled again, and our annual con- tributions thus be raised to one hundred and sixty millions ($160,000,ooo), which, added to the annual return of one hundred millions ($100,000,ooo) then due, would turn out a total of two hundred and sixty millions of dollars ($26o, ooo, ooo) per annum for the next ten (10) years, to be invested as before, after twenty (20) years of our organization, and so on until the fiftieth (50th), when by our numbering º 33 ten millions (Io, ooo, ooo), contributing ten (Io) cents per day as usual, and so wealthy and prosperous that our individual contributions would escape our attention, our accumulated mites, added to the annual return of our loans, would give, in round numbers, a grand total of one billion of dollars ($1,000,ooo, ooo) per annum to continue our enterprise. We could then buy a city like New York in one year, or all the railroads of the United States, with their full equipments, in seven (7) years, or the whole United States within a life- time, while surrounding ourselves with the luxuries and comforts of nabobs. Dear friends, though I cannot expect that all will understand me, you should know that free co-operation is the reverse of communism and centralization, which mean only tyranny and despotism. Free co-operation necessarily includes liberty and equity, without which progress is impos- 34 sible. In free co-operation each shapes his or her own course at his or her own expense, and all receive what they earn, neither more nor less, and as there can be no favoritism each will occupy the position to which he or she can raise themselves by their own individual capacities. - Our progressive nature demands individual sovereignty, which must be respected by all to avoid our own degradation, and to preserve which we may safely trust to free competition and the equitable ballot. This, of course, would leave no room for meddlers or rulers, as such could find nothing else to do but minding their own business and earning their living themselves. I believe every one of you would like to see time scheme realized, and also willingly accept his share in the benefits, so that it is but fair to expect that all will lend a willing hand. Many of you, no doubt, wonder why this was 35 not tried before, forgetting that ideas must be evolved before they can be applied. The trouble, however, is not so much in the lack of progressive conceptions as in the indolence of the people, who often fail to appreciate them. However this may be, we must not ignore the fact of our constant contact with the brain- less masses groaning under the load of their superstition. Happily, we are not dealing with such at present. Our work is in the front, amongst those who can understand one another, and shall gradually absorb the helpless crowd, who will be only too glad to join us when their time shall have come. In conclusion, I would say—Should you doubt your strength, then go to the nearest bee hive or ant hill, and learn from the tiny toilers what harmony and intelligence will accomplish. Delays are dangerous. Let the labor organ- izations of the land go ahead in this new move- 36 ment that promises so much for so little effort, and we shall soon astonish the world. I would gladly correspond with those who feel interested in the matter. JAMES THIERRY. LARAMIE CITY, Wyoming TERRITORY.