Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-03-17
COMPULSORY IR1NG
From the New YorF Evening Post

settlement OF dlspu .es between WorklDgmen
and their employers by means of arbitration.
But no scheme OF this kind, however care
fully considere d, can be successful unless it
is based on clear understanding of what
the rights Q f the parties who submit to ar
bitration are. That is to say, there can be
no sound, lasting, and healthy settlement OF
the labor question which is not preceded by
plain definition of the position Of the par
ties whom it affects. Thus far nothing Of
the kind seems to have been reached. APP
parently o very large body Of the working
men all over the country seem to be pos
sessed with the idea that they have right
to be hired by any employer whom they Sc.
lect for that purpose, at rate of wages to
be fixed by themselves or by the trades un-
ions to which they belong. 1t may be said
that this is an exaggeration, that all that
the trades unions claim at most is the right
of men to continue in the service of men
who have already employed them. But this
| is distinction without difference. In the
| field of morals right to be employed by
any man you please flows logically from the
right to be employed by a particular man
who does not want your services. The right,
| IL it exists, runs with the laborer. If A has
right to insist that B shall give him work
at s. day heaving coal when 3 does not
want him TO heave coal for him on any
terms whatever, a has right also 10 i'm
pose himself on G, D, or L as q coal HEAVIER.
In most of the strikes which occur nova
DAYS this point is clearly brought out. The
laborers Of the Steam Heating Company,
| for instance, call OH the company 10 make
certain changes in its mode Of doing bust
ness, as condition of their continuing to
work for it. The company refuses, and the
laborers consequently Leave its service. All
is right thus far Each side has exercised its
liberty as o citizen. But the laborers do
not 90 away and let the Steam Heating
Company alone. The surround its premises
in an an CRY way, as if the company were
in possession of something which belonged
to them, and they threaten those whom it
takes in their places with serious bodily
harm. They insist that they have right
to continue in the company's employment
for an indefinite period, on terms fixed by
themselves and without regard to their be-
havor. They do not concede to the COM
pany any right whatever of withdrawing
from the relation on dispensing with their
services, nor will they allow it TO mention
any fixed term of Office for them. They are
so sure of the justice OF this arrangement,
too, that they propose to assault anybody
that interfcres with it, and to damage the
property of anybody who deals with the
company and refuses to be party to the
quarrel.
Now, arbitration on basis OF this sort is
impossible. 1t cannot succeed in any or.
ganizsd shape unless it is avoWedly CON
~, hot
the parties to it have perfectly equal rights;
unless the knights of Labor, for Instance,
openly acknowledge, and agree to live up
to the acknowledge that tho employer
has the same right 10 dismiss that the
employee has to leave, and that the aborer
has no more right TO hit or kick the capital.
ist, or damage his property for not giving
him work, than the capitalist has 10 hit or
kick the laborer for refusing TO stay in his
service. We trust, too that employers Of
labor throughout the country, and all in.
tellgent and peaceable men Of every call.
inc, whether employers of labor or not, will
insist now on the abandonment of the mon
. strous theory which the Knights OF
Labor are either putting forward or sane
tioning, that one man has right to be hir-
ed by another man whether the other man
wants him or not This sounds when one
sees it in II paper so absurd as to be laugh.
able; but snch doctrine is not laughablc
when held by great bodies of the citizens
of what is supposed to be free coun-
try it is dangerous. II merits the prompt
and unEaltering resistance of every lover
of his country and his kind. Nothing
much more monstrous and oppressive was
ever concocted in the Middle Ages to bolster
up the power Of fcudal lords. All this 'boy-
cotting" which is going on in support of ii
is simply disguised form of robbery, and
should be met and stigmatized as such.
Working by all sorts of methods to injure n
mans business, or in other words TO damage
his property becauso he will not hire 5oll, is
no more moral nor respectable than going
TO his safe and taking some Of his money,
and it is q pity and shame that it is not as
punishable and as easily punished. Every
body, no matter his place or calling, who
encourages it, or even submits to ii, Or con-
hives ut it in The case of his neghbors, is an
accessory to o most cdous offence against
gociety, and against his fcllow-man. The
moral law has not changed since
the Knights of Labor were organ
lied any moro than tho law Of The land,
and no change in the law tf the land which
does not take the moral law into account
can possibly work anything but confusion.
Moreover, the doctrine of compulsory hir
ing is capable CT indefinite extension with
out losing any OF its force. It can easily be
applied to the sale of any other commodity
as we'll as labor. IF ! haze the right to in
sist on another mans hiring me whether be
wants me or not, and am entitled to kick
and cuff him, and smash his machinery and
furniture, snd persuade his neighbols not to
deal with him in case be refuses, why may
not do the same thing if he refuses TO pur-
chase goods of my manufactured Why
might trades union not set up producing
cooperative shop anG carry their goods
round to people for sale, and hit them over
the head, and break their windows, and
hang round their door Kissing ard hootng.
and threatening everybody who attempted
to enter, in case OF their refusal to buy ?
What can be said in defence or justification
of the first of these performances which can.
not be said in defence or justification of the
second? Nothing that we know Of.
The issue is plain one. 1t must be met
by tie American people sooner or later. The
oft al. :ul,t of k1, &c