The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-03-18
GEre GrtelEigenrer,
wnrELlNa, W. W.. nAHon ls, lss0.
The Right OF Employers 70 0UsrCs Their
Employees,

Employees
Recently the INTELLIoEScER gave some
account Of the boycott declared against
the Newark IN. J,) Adrertiser and the
Pittsburgh Leader because the prOprletPH
Of those newspapers refused to require
their employees to join the International
Typographical Union. Each Of these news
papers said 1t had in it's employ men who
did not wish to join the union and still
others who had been notified that they
would not be taken in, Commenting on
these cssesthe INTRLLIGESCER said the de-
mand upon the employers was one which
ought not to be made, and II made not ac'
ceeded to, for 1t required employers to4n'
te,fere in a matter which concerns the
men themselves and them alone. We are
glad to see that this is the view taken by
the Knights Of Labor, in a case in Atlanta
in which committee Of the knights oil
Labor settled the boycott by arbitration.
Iuauother column We give the publish
ed account Of the case, in which the
Knights appear to excellent advantage as
a wise, prudent and conservative force. It
will be observed, also, that the powerful
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers
supports the position Of the newspaper
and Of the Knights. With this endorse
ment from these organized bodies Of labor
II ia reasonable to assume that the news
paper was not taking au unfair advantage
OF anybody, but on the contrarystanding
by the principles which those organize
tons have laid down for their own guild
anCe.
It Is not difficult to see that II an en-
ploysr has the right to interfere in thu
social relations OF hia employees to tho ex'
tent Of compelling them to join an organi'
z,tion on pain OF dismissal for refusing to
Join, he has the same moral right to dis
miss them II they do jOiGRgainst his wish
To conCede one point is to concede both
and wsgs.earners ought not TO concede
either, for each is an uwwsrranted inter
ference with the rights otthe individual.
The opposite view opens the way for
endless difficulty and embarrassment. II
an employer may force his men to join q
labor organization he may select the par
ticular organization which they must
Join, and Il they refuse to submit to this
dictation nobody can complain II they
lose their employment. There might be
rival labor organizations, each Contending
for the mastery, as actually happened not
long since in the cigar industry in New
York. There were two opposing unions,
the members Of each working on equal
terms in the same factories. One Of them
declared a boycott, the factories shut
down and both OF them were thrown out
Of employment. How werethe employers
to Judge between themH
In Pittsburgh some Of the non.union
printers, perhaps most or all Of them, are
knights OF Labor. In Wheeling some Of
the union printers are knights Of Labor
and some are not. Employees might well
think themselves harshly treated II they
were notified that they must all become
Knights OF Labor or lose their places. In
the case OF a conflict between two labor
organizations, each serving notice OF boy.
colt, the employer who should be willing
to override the rights Of his faithful EN-.
ployOa would still be in an uncomfortable
position, for ''ii he missed in the soiers
sure he'd meet the dragoons"-it he
escaped the frying pan he would fall into
the FIRE.
In striving to perfect the organization
oflabol wage.earners ought to be careful
that they do not themselves infringe upon
the rights Of labor and require employers
to assume an attitude which, for the mo-
ment, may seem to advance the cause,
but which does this at a cost which labor
itself cannot afford.
TO avoid any misunderstanding It may
be well TO say that in the 1NrELLtaEScER
establishment none but union men are
employed; nor is there any desire to
change the basis Of relationship which ia
harmonious and entirely satisfactory. The
ISTELlloESCRR employees have formed
their social connections apd they are not
interiered with. This we believe to be
the right and just principle and the pru.
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