United We Stand – Divided We Fall.

[It may have been 122 years ago, but in some respects a lot of the issues are the same today.]

To every brother worker

I say, now hold your own!

For the squatter's trying every means

To break our unions down.

Keep true to one another;

Stand firm, now, one and all.

United we are sure to win,

Divided we will fall.

In days gone by we made mistakes

In rashness and in haste,

Although we were defeated then

We never were disgraced,

Though traitors may betray us

And sneaks may cringe and crawl,

United and we're victorious -

Divide and we will fall.

There's some of the employers

Who with our cause take part,

While others, as their actions prove,

Are tyrants in their heart;

Their creed to crush the workers

And drive us to the wall.

Unite and we are bound to win -

Divide and we will fall.

Although we are but sons of toil,

And not the favoured few,

We now will show what willing hands

And honest hearts can do.

Although we work with shear and pick,

With shovel and with mall,

Unite, my friends, and we will win -

Divide and we will fall.

They talk about free labour,

And say they can get men,

But let them try that little game

And see what happens then.

Their talk is idle bombast;

So let them shout and bawl.

Stand firm, true, and united,

No danger that we fall.

                                                                   O. M. Barcaldine

Brisbane February 7, 1891