The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-08-30
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.


over-production In the one case, and tC
meet interest and pay dividends OF
watered stocks in the other case, are
cutting down wages and depressing
labor, many causes arise that justify
the knights of Labor in quitting theil
employment and organizing for mu
tual self-protectlon. Labor has for ii!
best interests the same right to organ.
1ze and combine, that capital has. Il
has the same right to fix its rates, by
common consent, and formulate its le
CLIMATE demands, that capital has
and in this day and age Of combina
lions, 1T Is doubtless, wisdom to do So
Ii wages are not satisfactory, or il
the treatment by employers mot just
and proper and satisfactory, laborers
have perfect right to quit work
either individually or collectively.
The abstract right to strike, we do not
question; often 1t is " oil based upon
just grounds of complaint. In the lat
ter case it will DO noticed that the
strikers, il thoy indulge in no riot, and
and do not attempt to create any
further trouble to the employer, gen-
orally win, for they at once win upon
the publicly sympathy, and popular
pressure compels the employer
to sccede to just and reason
able demands. This fact is the
key to success by labor in its
struggles against capital, and is
worthy Of note now by the strikers in
this State.
1t is very safe proposition that no
movement, by any considerable num-
Der of mon, can succeed without pop
ular support. The sentiment of the
public, the active sympathy the cham
plonship Of the mass, must sustain o
body OF strikers, and literally fill tho
air with the righteousness OF their
cause before they can hope to prevail
against large and organized bodies Of
capital. To obtain this popular ap-
proval and win this popular sympa-
thy is the first consideration with a
body of strikers. But the public has
its own ideas of the right OF men and
property, and to outrage those
ideas is sure forerunner of
failure. For Instance, no man
has right to destroy an
other mans property because the
latter won't pay tho former the wages
he wants. He can refuse 30 work, but
cannot GO further. TO organize or join
a mob to break up his former employ
er's business, or destroy his property,
or prevent other men from working
for wages he refuses, is to place man
beyond the law, drive away public
sympathy, and constitute him an en-
envy to society. The strong arm OF the
law steps in and seizes him, and it is
the history Of all such strikes that
they are eventually crowned with dis.
NAL failure.
There was never riotous, meb-like,
bloody, or destructive body of strikers
successful. The only successes record.
ID are those won by men who respect
ID property rights and the personal |
lights OF othors. These Texas knights |
If Labor must treasure these facts.
But the most Objectionable feature
about these strikes, ana 1t is showing |
lis repulslve front in Galveston and
In tue Texas 81 ST. Louis railway
strike, is the opposition to the employ
ment of any other or new labor. Men
who are willing to work for the wages
offered are not permitted to do SO by
.he strikers. We published a card |
yesterday from the Knights protest
ing against bringing Mexican laborers
into this state. This is sll wrong. |
This Is free land. Any lsborer who |
desires to, may come here and seek !
and make his own con- |
tracts and terms as TO wages. 1t is
one of his natural rights as a man, and |
neither men nor constitutions have a
right to deny him its exercise. Are
.heso knights OF Labor the only
men entitled TO employment in
mis- State? Have they the right to
exclude from work all other men,
many Of them poorer than they, per-
l8ps with sick and starving ismiliss
upon them, and who have
orlong, weary weeks sought employ
nent, but sought in vain? II so, they
are the cruelest monopolists on this
continent. They cannot preach or
practice such doctrine and cry "Down
with monopoly" for the glaring incon-
sis;ency between their utteranco ami
their conduct would array the whole
public against them-the poor "a we'll
rs the rich.
In short, these knights are going TOO
lar. They are hghting monopoly with
a more cruel monopoly OF thsir own;
IL ~ are violating tho natural rights OF
man and outragiug his property rights,
and they will only succeed, By such
in driving away from them,
popular sympathy aud support
THE HERALD is disposed to do all In
at oil times, to assist hon
est and law-abldins labor. The poor,
no. the rich, are those drst entitled 20
sympathy. In their struggles
against the oppression OF capital they
have our sympathy, but disorderly or
methods will nevor win,
aud wa offer those suggestions IN tho
kindest spirit and inthsiu.orss. of tho
laboring mon generally. Let all h5
done quietly, decently and in order;
lot no poor man be denied the work no
noods, and II the cause OF complaint be
AUST one, the public will soon hul it
out and accord tho fullest measure OF
sympathy and assistance, az Il should,
indeed, do.
THE LAWS DELAY.