The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-09-03
THE CRY OF MONOPOLY.
The Kind or Trades Uaions that Onsht
TO be Formed.

Ill
To THE EDITOR OF TIE SUN-Sir: have
said that a great deal Of instruction can be
derived from what took place in England In
1875 and previously In regard to trades unions
and strikes. The old law OF England had for
a long time dealt very severely with the work.
ing classes. At one period II even compelled u
man to take the wngos offered to him and to
work for 1t. or go to prison. As late as the year
1869 trades unions and other combinations to
FIX the price Of wages were held by Board Of
magistrates to be out Of the pale Of the law 80
that there could be no redress against one OF
their officers who had wifully embezzled their
funds. and this decision was affirmed by the
Court OF Queens Bench. Public opinion. legisla-
ton. and judicial decision condemned the ontire
principle of the unions. Whether this state
and atrocities committed by some Of the
unions. is not OF much consequence to US.
Our Law and our r., public opinion haye meyer
the laxity Of our law and our public opinion
demagogue order to work such associations to
the injury OF society and The injury Of the Ia
tain that the English leGislation Of ISIS and
tho outrnges which preceded 1t turned flood OF
light upon tho true principles that ought to be
ers. andthe relations Of laborers to each other.
TIE trades Unions that spraHn;g up in Eng
Ing 1875. we're associations formed upon tho
principle Of a mutual agreement not to. work
Tor less rate OF wages thnn that fixed by the
union itself and not to allow any member to
remain in the union who broke this rule.
They united to this tho system Of benefit. soci-
the common fund.- even IL he had contributed
to it. unless he e. stopped working when the
s% 70 Pse TIVE un moes had
action. they might have succeeded: for unlaw-
full as i then was to form comblnatlons that
to obtain convictions. But many Of the unions
fell under h, the, tne Management ,H OF men who
oe Sy IN ha
proessed to ~ , Those men eatur 'an
power Of the unions by compelling the whole Of
the working classes to become members, and
unions exercised The consequences was a
among which murder was not uncommon. The
is often a sterling and independent person.
when he happens to have intelligence enough
spirit to be led by the nose. There were cases
OF such men. who had made themselves OBJ
noxious TO the leaders Of the unions, and who
fortune. In more than ono instance the man
all at once Disappeared, aud never could be ac-
was, set on, fire. or a rude in formal
machine was thrown into his bedroom during
the night. Brickmakers who wer. not union
found the clay stuffed with innumerabe
needless SO that they could not handle it. The
and machinery was destroyed. The self-made
laws OF the union were enforced by every
OF the unions paid for the crimes. Rewards
offered by tho Government and rewards offered
by employers failed to elicit evidence that
ever, that these crimes emanated from some of
the unions that were known TO be under the
control of bad men. Many OF these associa-
lions We're innocent OF such offences. and these
united with the employers in an application to
the Government to institute n search .nc in
quiry into the origin OF the crimes and iHto the
principles on which the unions were organized
A Commission was appointed by the Govern
those who would reveal the offences that had
been committed The result was a frightful
described the whole process Of intimidation
and persecution which they had employed
The chief Offenders were the loca, unions of
throughout England were in general vindi-
Gated from such imputations. Pubic opinion
came TO two conclusions first. that the indi-
own labor rs he chose must be protected Ivy the
strong arm of the law; snc2ndly, that the prin-
ton OF men to agree TO do together what each
man man had perfect , right to do sep4r-
H fess than S Certain Wages as' must be emi
nated fror, the common law BY statutory
the measures were, finally adopted which az
cumplished both of these objects by these
measures masters, and workmen were placed
on n footing of absolute equality in respect
to the contract Of hiring; The workman
who wilfully and maj iciously broke his CON
tract. knowing that by so doing he might
cause great public injury. SUCH ms Il stoppage
OF gas or water supply, or the wreck ing Of II
with u workman, and thereby caused serious
in;ucy or danger y, life or property. he could
hand violence or intimidation used 10y any
person TO compel others to act with him. in
rom w"rkng besettns them ,G to prevent e
5hsm from Getns IT, n @ RaG OF
fined and punished rs crimes. Ii was also
established that an act which it was lawful for
an individual TO do should not be unlawful il
done by combination. The law had previous
ly conceded to the Individual the right to re-
fuse to work for less than certain wages. 1t
now gave to any number of workmcn the right
II form the same resolution us u mutual agree
ment.
The labor Of England was thus emancipntcd
this legislation is undoubtedly the true one. 1t
is bottomed on the right Of every man to do
ciety to protect him in the enjoyment of that
right and on the undeniab truth that capital
is, Just as much entitled 70 this protection as
stand how there can be u strike in England to;
day without any iniraction of the law, II will
also help Us to see, whatever may lie the pres
bate proceedings in New York and Jersey City.
,,Ne!, as waylayins gangs Of laborels who have
making. up, and threatening to publish
black lists, and many other means of annoy
anc" and intimidation. are acts which ought to
be allowed. II there is any duty imperatiyey
incumbent upon society. It Is the duty OF pro-
t. ting the individual laborer in tho exercise
of his right to sell his own labor for whatever
price he can get This is all that society can
do for him: because il Is practically impossi-
BILE for the law to step batwcen EMPLOYERS and
employed and determine the rate of wages in
any business whatever: that is not the business
of Government That railroad corporations
are any more than private individuals within
the proper scope OF public Interference in the
matter Of wages is as palpably untrue as any
thing can he.
have suggested what the law can and ought
to do for the protection OF the laborer that it
can and ought to secure to him absolute free
dom 10 make what contracts he pleases and
the right to agree with his fellows that he will
not accept less than "A certain rate of wages,
But whether he will exercise this last right by
joining IN astrke when he has prese mt employ
inent is for his own individual determination
upon what Is for his own interest and welfare.
In this he must be guided by an Intelligence
that ia perhaps not possessed by the great mass
of laborers but may he expected to be found
among those who are possessed OF the kind of
personal capital that Is called skilled labor All
experience shows that extensive strikes which
are nothing but concerted ccssations of work
undertaken for the purpose Of compelling ON
ployers to pay higher wages by kind of moral