Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 12, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 5, 1914 Page: 3 of 16
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September 5, 1914
THE OKLAHOMA LABOR UNIT
Page Five
c
The business agent of a labor or-
ganization, the evolution of the
"walking delegate" of other days, to
win favor with his union must possess
many qualifications not the heritage
of the average man—both physically
and mentally. He must be a genius
in diplomacy, possess the cunning of
a Sherlock Holmes, the power of per-
suasion, the gift of argument, wear
a smile of deception or the meaning-
less countenance that would deceive
the prince of poker players, have a
disposition of a parson or priest—
Job like—and a Christian tempera-
ment that would entitle him to hon-
orary membership in Rockfeller's Bi-
ble class. At times he must be an
advocate of the Bryan grape juice
doctrine and at others a booster of the
interests of the booze seller, the pos-
sessor of a thirst for beer and al-
coholic drinks that would make a red-
nosed bum envious of nis capacity.
In this dual character is where the
art of diplomacy is played. One false
step and all is lost.
It is one of the unwritten laws of
the union labor men that his business
agent must be possessed of a lune
power akin to the coast fog horn, yet
at times such so modulate his
voice that his work along that line
would make an undertaker blush.
While not required to boast a college
degree, he is supposed to know every-
thing a human encyclopedia, a bureau
of intelligence, while at other times
he is only required to possess ordin-
ary human intelligence a little above
the animal kingdom—say of the mon-
key.
Physically he must possess great
powers of endurance, visit every job
in his town where members of his
craft are working, or should hold jobs.
He must know of every building per-
mit iss«ed, who the owner of the pro-
posed building is, the contractor and
cost of the work. If the contractor is
not a friend of the union, he must get
busy and bring the contractor around
to run a closed shop. If he fails he
must Sherlock Holmes the job, get
into the building, personally make a
census of the men working there and
proceed then and there to unionize the
job from the waterboy to the gen-
eral superintendent. If he fails here
he is charged with cowardice, ineffi-
ciency and general incompetency. If
the "scab" workmen object to the
proselyting of the business agent and
start a rough house, he must put up
a fight or make his escape as best he
can. One of the stellar accomplish-
ments is to scent trouble at long dis-
tance, by wireless, as it were, and be
there when it breaks and discourage
the scrap.
Despite the fact that he is expected
to make the rounds daily of every job
in the city, organize non-union work-
men, bust up the open shops and
turn them into closed shops, he gets
a roast from every member of the
union out of work who calls at his of-
fice and finds him away. Then he is
expected to have the price whenever
he is touched by men out of work. If
he fails to come across with coin of
the realm he is dubed a tightwad.
The right he possesses to hand out
coin in his official position to all
comers—with never a chance of get-
ting a cent of it back on expense ac-
count—is one of the prized perquisites
of the job. When he assumes the res-
ponsibilities of the position he abso-
lutely belongs body and soul to his
union. He is away from home so
long that when he returns to his
domocile he must be armed with a
letter of introduction to his better-
half. Among his multifarious duties
he must be conversationalist, old man
eloquent, public speaker, ready for de-
bate, fortified with statistics of every
kind, know by heart the constitutions,
by-laws and general orders of every
labor union in the country. His vo-
cabulary must have Webster beat a
mile and he must have a definition
and derivation to fit every word in
the English language. Among the
duties he is called upon to perform
is to advise his union, bluff the Cap-
tains of Industry and Napoleons of
Finance, make a reputation as peace-
maker as well as become famous as
a professional brewer of trouble when
occasion demands for "the good of the
cause."
Should he survive the many hard-
ships and dangers of a full term in
office—he is not permitted to die in
office without the unanimous consent
of his union—he has aged a quarter
of a century, looks haggard, has a
hunted look and reaches for his hip
pocket on the slightest sound in his
rear as a matter of long practice in
the art of self-protection in drawing
first. But his mind is made up. He
knows—experience has taught him.
His slogan is "Never Again." You
might induce him to join the anarch-
ists, safeblowers or even become an
inmate for life in a penal institution
where they wear "funny clothes" and
cut the hair close; take a job with the
I. W. W. sabbotage squad or do the
"blind man act" on some corner sell-
ing pencils and matches, but all the
armies of Emperor William could not
drive him into a second term—not he.
As a matter of keeping up the excite-
ment without the personal responsi-
bility to his union he usually retires_
after one term, joins a pirate ship or
body of brigands or becomes a patriot
in Mexico and nothing more is heard
of him.
From the savings of his princely
salary he usually accumulates a large
fortune, which he bequeaths to t>is
family before disappearing—nit.
These are a few things that a busi-
ness agent is. Failure to mention the
thousands of things expected of him
come under the head of sins of omis-
sion and commission upon which his
union can, and always does, base the
weekly roast is handed him when the
boys get together at meetings and
open their vials of wrath.
Order
By
We
Prepay
Parcel
Post
•
S ' ban — UW ■ W fWFWTf
Order
By
We
Prepay
Parcel
Post
Largest Department Hardware Store
+ t + + + + + +
IN THE SOUTHWEST
Hard to find? Try Pettee's. Every department filled with
scores and scores of goods not generally found in many stores. If
you are in need of a gift see Pettee's.
Tools of every description—Open stock Dinnerwareand Glsss-
ware—K. and E. Drawing Supplies—SI udebaker Buggies and
Wagons—Household Supplies—Cut Glass and Silverware. If you
live out of town order by mail. The service will be satisfactory
and the delivery prompt We prepay the parcel post. Full de-
scription of any article in the house mailed on request.
♦
WHEN A CARD MAN *
IS NOT A UNION MAN 4-
+
When he becomes a general 4-
knocker to all acts of his union. 4*
When he wastes his money 4-
and permits himself to be sus- 4-
pended for non-payment of dues. 4*
When he buys non-union goods 4>
without attempting to get union 4-
goods. 4*
When he tries to use the un- 4-
ion for his own personal and pri- 4*
vate benefit. *
When you can hear him say: 4*
"I, for the life of me, would like 4<
to know where all the money 4*
goes that we have to give up to 4*
that bunch up there." 4*
When you hear him say: "The 4-
union never got anything for 4-
me, I always had good wages 4-
before I ever came in the 4-
union." 4«
When he fights with the boss, 4>
loses his job through his own 4-
fault; then he runs to the 4>
union and attempts to use it 4
as a cat's paw to retaliate. 4
He is the one who is always 4-
too busy to act on a committee, 4*
never has any time to visit a 4-
sick and disabled brother, 4*
never knows whether the man 4-
who works by his side is a 4*
union man or not, and doesn't 4-
care. 4>
He is the man who is too 4-
narrow to ever see beyond his 4*
selfish interest. 4-
+
WJPETTEE&CO.
TRADESMENS STATE BANK
OF OKLAOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA
SAFETY
SERVICE
STRENGTH
SUCCESS
A combination that brings SUCCESS to a finanial
institution is that of SERVICE and STRENGTH
with SAFETY FIRST.
We believe the growth and stability of the
TRADESMENS STATE BANK of Oklahoma City
is due to the fact that the management has build-
ed on a foundation of correct and cardinal princi-
ples of good banking, and has seasoned conserva-
tism with liberality, keeping ever in mind SAFE-
TY FIRST.
We refer those who have not had an account with
us to those who have.
frank j. w1koff
j. c. McClelland
arch w. anderson
chas. m. bosworth
President
Vice President
Vice President
c4shier
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Zeigler, C. C. Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 12, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 5, 1914, newspaper, September 5, 1914; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc157216/m1/3/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.