Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-07-21

w llle employers tHdI IlltN muSI uls-
charge a certain man, and if they
did not their business would be
stopped. That was the effect of it.
When they refused to discharge this
certain man, whose labor they were
satisfied with, the union called the
workmen away and stopped their
business.
THE Judge-"There were no as
saults made or anything of the sort?
THE PrOSecutOr-No, but it has
resulted in the absolute inability of
this man, who was discharged under
this coercion, to get employment
until very recently. He has been
kept for a long time out of employ
ment by reason of the action of
these labor unions"
When boss discharges an employe
it may result in his failing to get
work elsewhere, and relegate him to
the condition of tramp, but that,
it seems, has nothing to do with
conspiracy-the effect of boss's
action is not considered, but his un-
doubted right under the present
system to employ and discharge
whosoever he pleases is protected.
But Smyth, the servant of the
people, notwithstanding the facts,
got up on his hind legs and exuded
the following piece of sophistry with
the cool etfrontery of conscious
power, well knowing that the capl-
tallst class would applaud, and the
poor workingman would bow with
humble abasement to his decree.
Said he:
In this case there was no violence,
no walking up and down before the shop,
and no threatening people who wished
to go to work. 1t was simply conspir-
acy between certain people to effect a
certain object. am inclined to act upon
the suggestion made by the District At
torney for the reasons given by him, but
it is with the express understanding that
if you again engage in the violation of
this statute, instead of having a trial
upon a new indictment you will be
brought before this court upon your
plea to this indictment and | will
sentence you, if happen to be here, to
the penitentiary. Now, no one would go
further than | would in protecting any
person that earns his bread in every
legal right that he has The District At
tOrney very properly stated that people
have right to combine and associate to-
gether and to do everything lawful to-
ward obtaining better wages and shorter
hours. All that they have "a right to do,
this State would uphold them i'll that
right. But Sc has the man that em-
ploys. He has equal rights, No one
has right to interfere with him In his
rights as long as he lives within the law
He has right to employ whom he
pleases, right to discharge whom he
pleases, and "A right to pay such wages as
he can employ men to work for, and no
body of men has any legal or just right
to combine for the purpose of inJurlng
him. trust that the lenity which the
Court intends to extend toward you on
this occasion will not be wasted, and that
you will hereafter, as | have no doubt
you will, because | believe you to be
respectable, hard working men, abide by
the laws of the country in which you
live, and of which you are citizens. |
will suspend for the present the judg-
ment of the Court, with the understand
ing that if you again engage in viola
| Of hA Low hn.. l,..,
pounded by the highest court of the
State, which we are all bound to obey,
| will enforce this statute by imprison-
ing you in the penitentary.'
And the men went out of court.
What their feelings were may be i'm
agined. They were the victims OF
their own honest convictions and
duty the victims, too, of a cOwardly
policy which should not obtain in a
labor organization, and the victims
of system of persecution adopted
for the purpose of preventing the
workers from obtaining their just
rights.
There are two ways of combating
the schemes of the cap talistic courts.
One is to 90 into politics upon a
radical platform and WIN; the other
is to adopt a system of passive re-
Sistance, and boldly continue in the
exercise of rights no matter if the
powers that be send committee after
committee to Jail. When one man
is arrested and prevented from doing
! his duty by his organization, another
should take his place ; and another