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Show UNION LABOR IS TESTED. As bead of the United Association of Plumbers, Gas and Steam Fitters and Helpers, John R. Alpine has written an article most timely and patriotic. He issued a statement in February which brought forth some criticism from those not heartily in accord with the war policies of this government. Mr. Alpine's rejoinder is worthy a place in the archives of every labor union. "Whenever you find a pacifist who preaches bi.s paeifisiic doctrine either by actual words or by means of subtle sub-tle references that only such a class of people know how to offer," says President Presi-dent Alpine, "you may make up your mind that he is NOT a trade unionist and he is NOT an American. He may have been born in this country are have landed on our shores from some foreign land where he was deprived of the rights of freedom and free speech, but in any event he is not an American either by birth or adoption, or he would not at this time be preaching preach-ing peace and offering criticisms of the best government that tbe world has ever known. The peace man is the man who would sell his wife; he is the man who has bis price, he Is the man who has an unsealed wireless apparatus from which he sounds words of comfort to the enemy, and he Is the man for whom internment or the firing fir-ing squad should be the reward. I have no patience with them and they have no place in our labor movement or in tho general community. They usually us-ually hide their peace talk with words of patriotism, the while declaring that they are letng ill-treated by the government." gov-ernment." Allowing his Americanism to fully assert itself, the labor leader an-, nounces: "This letter is written in answer to those who would criticize either the writer or any of the other general officers of-ficers of this association, and I moan to make it Just as clear at is within jay power that so far as I am cou- i corned 1 care nothing for critics or criticisms, and maintain now as I always al-ways have that the constitution of the UnMed Statea takes precedence over that of any labor organization. As your general president I propose to say that when the interests of our government govern-ment are at stake when the product of man-power Is needed for the good of the men 'Over There,' I shall do my best to fin the places of men who refuse re-fuse to work ever here. A man who will ri i lihcrately, or by other means present obstacles In the way of our cause ;,t this time Is aiding and abetting abet-ting the plans of the pacifist and contributing con-tributing to the successes of the German Ger-man government " That III iho kind of sentiment which will str.nirthon tho labor unions after ih- war. Had tho unions of tho United Stat oh accepted the Socialistic doctrines doc-trines and held back, they would have suffer' il a '. rious disintegration, for union labor as a whole is loyal and will not submit to disloyal influences In closing his article to the plumbers, plumb-ers, President Alpine, expressing a desire de-sire to sco the false friends of the United States severely dealt with, makes this suggestion: "Tho newspapers each day contain references to tho war crosses awarded award-ed our soldiers for valorous deeds performed per-formed overseas, and I only wish there was some form of emblem that could be pinned on the breasts of those who are by thought and deed performine actions on this side of the ocean that are not calculated to bring successes to those who are on the ocean's other side fighting our battle. It would not be a war-cross but a ball and chain that would be far more appropriate " I The time Is not far distant when the traitors In the United States are to bo hunted down and punished without mercy There Is a demand from every quarter for drastic action. |