The Labor enquirer., 1886-02-06

injury upon Capltal lnVe0Iou IL coAPoi"
tions, he is much mistaken; all ask is
that they should not be above the peo'
pie, above the law; that their. conduct
should be regulated as yours and mine
is. That is all that the people ask
Nay, I believe that if the blind desire o.
these corporations to make money would
allow them to open their eyes and look
at this subject Justly and properly for
one moment, they would acknowledge
me as friend. !.
/ look all around me to-day and on
every side / see oppression and unjust
discrimination. I hear the mutteripgs
of discomfort; the battle cloud upon the
horizon has been spreading and grow.
ing darker and darker for years There
is storm coming, andI protest my OBJ
iect is to arrest its fury. Justice Is
NINE" saith the Lord but he strikes
with the hands Of men. By the great
unrest, sometimes resulting in unlawful
acts, mobs and riots, he has been saving
to the oppressor for years ''let my people
go.' He, will allow you to keep the
bricks that have been made with, and
without straw-but what is desired is
the liberty, now and hereafter, of His
people. Now am in favor of throwing
up the sponge right here and letting
Him have His way. We sometimes
think His Justice is slow, but it is not 80
long after all "to Him who reckons each
of His days a Thousand years."
Oppression and liberty, since the
dawn of the first morning, have been
continually struggling. When oppres-
sion is beaten at one point it changes
front and attacks at another. The strug-
gle of to- day is different from what it
was twenty-five years ago. Then it was
for the liberty of the black men, the
most of whom had comfortable homes
and plenty to eat but we're deprived Of
their liberty. Now the battle is for the
white man, who has no home and hut
little to eat. and is deprived of his rights
by having the products of his labor
taken from him. E&
In France they have what they call
the ''Consuls Des Prud Hommes," tri-
bunal selected from employers and EN-.
ployes to settle their disputes. If they
cannot settle it an appeal may be
taken to higher courts. The members
of this council serve without pay. They
are divided into two chambers called the
/ private bureau and the general bureau
The sole duty of the former, which Is
com posed of two members only, ls TO try
to conciliate the parties and settle dis,
putes without formal trial. Failing IN
this the case lis taken before the general
bureau, where another attempt is made
to settle. If this fails the case is tried
The costs are very light; in the majority
of cases not being over cents, the'cos1
ofa letter calling the parties In. In lS41
the councils had brought before them
| 19, ,271 cases, of which II ,951 were settled
in the private bureau, 951 by the gene
raj bureau, and only in 519 of these
cases was there any formal Judgment
In 1878 the number Of cases was 35,047
1S,415 of these were settled in the pri
yate, and 9,O76 in the general councils
Formal judgment was entered in only
1856 of these cases. Of the causes o.
dispute in 1873, 81 1858 cases related to
wages, 4,733 to dis missals, and 1,795 te
apprentices. About the same law exists
in Belgium and in some other countries
In free America we are left to fight il
out. -
Whenever labor has found relief i,
has been through organizations. In
England such organizations were pro
hibited by the heaviest penalties from
the year 1850 down to about 1900. Laws
were continually in force against labor
organizations, but finally these organiza'
tions have triumphed, and thew have at
least gained some good laws in favor oi
the working classes. Cooperative so.
cieties have been formed. The neces-
sity of perfect organization of the pro,
ducing classes is made evident by the
number of organizations against them
or affecting directly or indirectly their
interests. As soon as class of men by
organization can control few hundred
votes, just that soon do they become a
very important element, and just that
soon do they draw to themselves and
their principles respect and q careful
consideration of their claims In the
state of Colorado very few hundred
organized voters can change the politi.
cal complexion any day.
We're I asked to lay down rule for
your success 1 would say Build up law.
abiding Organizations that will hold and
throw their votes as one man. And were
1 asked to lay down second and a
third rule, I'would repeat the first.
There will come day when this ma.
ton must have defenders. Men who for
love of country are willing offer their
lives upon it's altar; mothers who will
kiss their sons and bid them 60; wives
who will widow themselves and orphan
their children for the nations sake.
Doubtless the capitalists will stands
ready to take your bonds il thev see in
them a speculation, but not otherwise.