Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-09-09
THE LEGALITY OF TRADES UNIONS.

AS already noticed, the master masons of
new York have brought the question Of the
legality of Trades Unions before the courts for
decision. They have not only commenced a
civil suit for damages against the leading men,
bers of one OF the New York Bricklayers'
Unions, but they have also set on foot crimi-
nal prosecution against them. The gist of
both actions is the same. II Is, that the persons
named as defendants have unIawfully con-
federated and conspired to do certain acts
against trade and commerce, and in violation
of the laws of the State of New York" These
acts are specified to be, the refusal to work for
bosses who have taken apprentices otherwise
than in accordance with the regulations of the
Union, or who employ ten-hour men, and the
making Of efforts 10 induce other journeymen
TO do likewise. The civil suit, in the ordinary
course Of litigation, will not be finally decided
Tor years to come, and the criminal prosecution,
the New York Sun thinks, will probably be
delay ed until the Legislature, by amending the
statute, will practically dispose of it, and the
civil case too, in the brleklayers' favor.
IL seems, however, that the brio klayers pro-
pose to turn the tables upon the master masons
by alleging conspiracy on the part Of the latter
10 refuse work TO them. The ground of action
Is that number Of the master masons have
repeatedly and solennly agreed that they
would not employ any journeyman who be-
ionged TO Union, nor any one who in
sisted upon conforming to the State law max
ing eight hours days work. If any Journey.
mar has been refused employment by one of
tnese master masons in pursuance Of this agree
ment- he may, 1t is contended, both sue the
whole combination for damages, and have them
indicted besides as conspirators. II II be a
conspiracy for the men to refuse to work for
the bosses, il is a conspiracy for the bosses to
refuse to employ the men.
This, IL Will be seen, adds another complica.
ton TO the difficulty between the masters and
the workmen; and the only parties who will
De benehted by these suits and counter SUITS
are the lawyers, who will apparently reap a
rleh harvest out OF both employers and en-
ployed- The bosses and workmen will get
about the same mutual benefit from having n
as the two cats in the table, who appealed to
Justice Monkey to divide their cheese equita.
bly,, or al least legally, and who had the salts
faction OF seeing II dwindle to nothing under
the judicial bites Of that level-headed magis.
trate.
The moral of all this is, that the interests O,
employers and employed are so much i'm com.
mon that any fight between them damages
ootn and helps neither. Each needs the other
and each to the other is as indispensable as one
half Of pair of scissors TO the other half.
The trade unions will continue TO exist we
may be assured, and every fight against them
will be pure waste of time and money. In
Europe the same attempt to crush them, by
showing their illegality, has hsen tried and ut
terly failed And If this has been the ease in
England, where the employers have much
more relative strength to the employed than
IN this country, we may be sure that the work.
men here, who constitute power in the land,
Will not be less successful in the contest.