The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-05-06
English Trades Unions.

EuglISn lTdOGS Unions.
An elaborate report on trades unions in
England has recently been made to Par
lament by the commissioners appointed
some time ago to enquire into their organ
ization and rules. The outrages last year
in Sheffield, were attributed to the agents
of the trades unions and the government
was called upon to investigate them. The
opponents of these organizations declared
. them to be systems OF terror, injurious
alike to the interests of trade and to indl-
Vidual freedom The friends of trades
unions, on the contrary, denied the charg-
es against them and asserted their full
right to be recognized and protected by
law. It appears that the eleven Englsh
commissioners who have been employed
in this inyest1 CATION, are as much divided
in opinion on the subject as the pubic,
for while seven of them concur IN propos-
ing a change of the, law which at present
is in favor of unions, and one OF the seven
specially. condemns unioDist principles,
the others recommend that the unions be
allowed to do as they please, because 9th
er classes are free, and the extension of
the freedom to the laboring classes cannot
be helped. The report says that many of
the members of these trades unions act in
an arbitrary and unsocial spirit and en-
terrain views both erroneous and unrea-
sonable; but it naturally adds that mem
bers of all bodies do the same thing They
therefore propose that all legislation deal
ing with the employment oflabor should
at once be rescinded, and that no law
should be especially directed against the
conduct OF Workmen growing out of trade
disputes. If outrages like those at. Shelf
field occur, let them be punished by the
common law of the land, that provides
for murder or assaults, irrespective of any
associations to which the offenders may
belong; and if other offences that do not
come within the province of these exist
ing laws ought to be noticed, it should be
by amending the penal code, rather than
by imposing legal restrictions upon trade
corpora. ions Two of the commissioners
are Of the opinion that trade unions are
generally beneficial in their operations,
and are fairly entitled to legal protection
If they happen to be selfish or short-sight-
ed they are at least not criminal in their
corporate character With the single
stipulation thatall their financial accounts
should be made public for security against
fraud, these commissioners say they would
give the unions all the protection they de-
mand 3~- iAt 4
On the other hand, those who desire to
restrain the operations of heseassociations
represent that they violate a law Of the
land, which prohibits the obstruction Of
the free course of trade; that In so doing
they are injurious to the community, and
therefore their restriction comes within
the province of the law A voluntary
combination of workmen to concert action
for the promotion of their common inter
est, could not be objected to but it is
claimed that such combinations profess to
be Representatives of the trade itself,
and insist under penalty of molestation,
that every workman in trade shall join
them and obey their orders Those who
refuse are subjected to punishment, and
murders committed at Sheffield are quo
ted only as an extreme development of
this principle. AS far as such tyranny can
be proved, none who value the peace of
the community can Of course be found to
justify it; but the difference of opinion
existing refers to the point whether the
law should deal with the acts as ordinary
offences coming within the province of
the common law or whether by special
legislation, restraint should be imposed
upon such combinations. On this ques-
ton the commissioners appointed to in
Vestigate the matter seem as unable to
agree as those who have had less opportu
nifty for correct judgment.