Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-04-07
Rights OF workingmen.


The following is The first of a series
Of four articles from the New York
journal of Commerce" on the great
question of Labor and Capital, which
is now agitating this country In all
sections. These articles are published
at the request Of prominent gentle
man and will no doubt be read with
interest by employers and employees:
Some years ago we came across O.
quaint plea for religious freedom. 1t
denounced in eloquent terms the ty-
ranny of the hiersrchies. and urged
the laity everywhere to rally for their
complete emancipation from church
authority. But the writer came to q
most logical conclusion. After re-
moving the yoke of bondage from
their necks the rank and file OF be-
levers were to adopt system better
suited to universal supremacy, and as
far as they were able by organized
effort they were to impose this upon
the world. Not alone by moral sua-
sion, but by proper legislation wher-
ever this Is possible" they were to
compel the general conformity in mat
tiers of religious faith and practice o.
all classes to the will of the majority
thus ascertained.
1t was not, after all, plea for reli
gious federation; there was in the plar
proposed no recognition of the rights
of the individual conscience; it wal
simply a change of masters-thc sub
stitution of new order of rulers, who
by the power of association, were to b.
as absolute as Pope or Council, ant
were to dictate both creeds and ritua
to all the people. 1t was in reality thu
assumption put by the old satirist il
the mouth OF the Puritan; my ide'
of religious freedom is the liberty I,
worship God in my own way, and Il
compel every other man, without re
gard to his conscience, to adopt m,
system, and TO conform his lite there
to"
The various trade associations, whicl
have been organized ostensibly in de
tense of the rights of workingmen
have reached about the same c0nclu
sion. We accept, for the purpose c
the discussion, their definition of tn
terms employed, and include as "work
ingmen" those who work for wages a
some form Of manual labor.
These societies, or unions, were G
first organized in each separate trad
to compel within the limits of their IL
fluence O uniform rate of wages, an
where this was deemed 10 be mad,
qnate TO force employers to pay stir
ulated advance. They assumed tn
right of the employed to combine Il
together for this purpose, and to coerC
employers to accede to their term
under threat of suspending his bus
ness in case of his refusal by leavln
their places In body without motto
, to him of such intention.
, We denied this right intoto at tn
very outset OF the movement, nearl
forty years ago. We set over again
the combination of the workmen
force from employers who were unab
or unwilling to pay the prices d.
manded, picture of the combinatio
of employers and capitalists TO fore
the laborer 70 accept OF lower pay an
longer hours, and asked why this W,
not as legitimate as the otherP If me
might consplre together to ruin q
employers business in case he woul
not yield to their dictation, then Il
employers as class might join hant
TO force concession from their worl
men under threat ofa loss of work
a general suspension, and the cons
quent utter starvation Of those wi
were dependent on their labor for the
daily bread.
Neither of them, as we claimed the
and have insisted ever since, has
= right 10 form such combinations. 1t
in the nature of conspiracy again
the veal of others, and under the 0
t. common law would have been an i
dictable offence. A workman m,
make his offer of service at a give
rate, and If this is refused decline Il
employment. An employer may off
a price for labor, and refuse to emplt
= any who will not accept 1t. But
combination to force, under a threa
e ened penalty, the view of either 81,
r as to the sufficiency of the pay, is 1
8 Infringement Of individual rights al
h personal liberty.
All persons were willing to adm
that the forestalling OF the market,
secure from unwilling buyers an e
HANGED price for the necessaries
} life, was grievous ofiense against Il
public well-being. But it was n
quite as easy for those who had 81
fered in this way to see that a CO.