St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-02
THE LABOR PROBLEM.
Should LabOrers Combine 10 Con-
troll the Price OF Labor

THE LABOR PROBLEM.
Should Laborers Combine 10 Con- !
troll the Price OF LabOrl
c. E. B., in the Judge.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Grand Jury
of Public Opinion: One of the most
important questions pressing for your in
vitation is the labor disturbances now
rife. You viii find the whole question
in its last analysis 10 be: Should labor
ers combine to control the price of labor?
You will have before you sufficient evil
dence that capital is now admirably organ
lied and that it does on its side seek TO
control the price of labor. Evidence will
further be before you TO the effect that UNI
organized labor cannot treat on terms of
equality with this organized capital; in fact,
that there is no check on q destructive
screwing down of wages by the latter eX-
cept their conSciences or cOunter-cOmbina-
tons Of laborers. Universal experience will
prove how far UnseliishneSs can be depended
on to dictate the policy of corporations
concerns organized expressly for selfish ends.
The only alternative for labOrerS' prOtec-
ton and public interests is trades unions.
The latter, it might be expected, would an
tagoniZe entertainments of employers in
kind. As corporations have been known to-
violate statute law or bride legislatures to
grant them the right to Cypress under cover
of law. il Will not be a matter OF surprise if
strikers commit acts of lawlessness also, not
enjoying equal favoritism from corrupt law
makers and approachabie courts and officers
of law. But it is the interest Of workers
to be
PEACEABLE AND DUTIFUL,
because the days bread depends on that
days orderly employment; and because they
feel that they do not stand equal before the
law with corporations, in this land of al
legged equality. These well-known facts
your jury should set off against the excuses
of sand-lot orators and berry dead-beats
who steal liberty Of labor to serve the devil
of disorder in.
Furthermore. your jury will find great
| difficulty in getting true statement of facts
in any conflict between labor and capital.
The telegraph, on which the public is
mainly dependent for reports of strikes, is
! in the hands of the most INSCRIPTIONS mo-
nOpoly in this or any other country. Trades
unions have few organs TO tell you OF their
side of the controversy; and the sympathies
of controllers of the press is rarely with a
strike. There are always men among strik-
ers who are infiammable in proportion to
their Ignorance, and very apt to be unruly
when hungry. These often bring upon
trades unions the stigma of communism in
principle and of using violence as sole
remedy. But the great body of American
laborerS are peaceable and law-abiding IN
der provocations and privations such rs the
well-tO-dO know nothing of. You viii not
allow exceptional excuses TO prejudice you
against the great body of labOrers as they
have prejudiced many public men, puryey
Ors of news and oracles of the press.
AN ILLUSTRATION
of how all the ordinary avenues of evidence
open TO the jury of public opinion can be
prejudced against strikers is seen in the
case of the recent car strike in Chicago.
Compare the first reports of Outrages and
destruction committed by the strikers and
the injustice imputed to their demands. with
the vindication of them in both respects by
the outcome OF the strike. The president
of the company declared the drivers and
conductors i'm the right and the superintend-
ent who provoked them 10 strike in the
wrong. Yet very few journals that so Sc
verely denounced the strikers as rioters and
communists have presented their justifica-
ton.
Your jury will also need to investigate
the acts of the authorities with great care.
Mayors, sheriffs and governors are as apt 10
err on the side of property as are journal
lists. Rights are intangible; property is a
fact In this country progress is so much
built upon property that the authorities are
apt to defy vested interests and demOnize
anything that is called communism"
Protect property first and redress grievances
afterwards is the common attitude of Off
Gals elected by nineteen votes of labOrerS
to one of freeholderS. ''Property-rights
are sacred?" Human rights are transcend
ent.
The action of the governor of Michigan
in the lumber region strikes is an illuStra-
ton of excessive official zeal for property
and against personal rights even with law
on either side. Bringing thither the militia
and police of the state before it was de-
manded. and before any violence had been
threatened or damage committed. this law
less executive of law took command him
self. publicly stigmatized the strikers I'M
heard, and made proclamation fOrbidding
labOrers TO assemble and discuss their in
terestsi The record of official Outlawry is
complete when you learn that the strikers
were out for attempting TO enforce the ten
hour law passed by the last legislature OF
Michigan.
IN THE SANE SPIRIT
was the extra-judicial stump-speech of a
Judge in which ne denounced from the
bench trades unions as 'nuisances, " Infer
nal," etc. The grand jury of public opinion
should guard against being misled by either
, telegraph, press, Judiciary or executive. You
! are the only constant power that can check
the tendency OF capital 10 encroach.
on the one hand, and of labor ia
become turbulent under encroach-
: ments and privations, on the other.
1 Your jury will no doubt find that trade:
: unions, properly managed. are a thing tC
e encourage. They, aided by your directing
+; counsels, may guard the interests of de-
pendent thousands, who without organiza-
, ton would be like scattered sheep before
3 well-drilled wolves. Labor should organ
: ize to hold the other force in check and
, counterbalance; each to watch the other.
Trades unions are educational They
: foster fraternity and teach system and unity
Y to laborers. More than all. they strengthen
a their manhood, courage and self-eontrol
Your jury's best efforts should at all time.
/ Co m Sunrlvfnor fha counfrxsc v,,-fIa a,S