OUR ATTITUDE TO UNIONISM.
By Editor
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES holds to the right of men to organize into trade-unions, guilds, associations, or what not. If a man desires to submerge his individuality and choose a union boss or walking delegate to represent him, he has that privilege. He may make that union or organization so good and desirable that all may wish to join it, but he has no right to compel men to join. The rights of him who elects to stay out are as sacred as the rights of the unionist. He has a family to support, perhaps, as dear to him, as intelligent, and worth as much to humanity. Surely he should have equal right to work as he will, for whom he will, when he will, and for what he will, as the unionist. If any organization under the sun can not succeed on its merits in winning and holding and controlling its members, and in convincing others without violence or coercion, it is worthy only to die. And this is as true of any religious institution as it is of any secular organization. If it be of God it will survive, if it be not of God and truth and justice, it deserves to die. Brethren of the labor unions, are you not willing that unionism should meet this test? If not, why not?