The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-07-15
TURNING THE TABLES.

At Weymouth, Mass, some time ago,
the workmen in the shoe factories
struck for higher wages, necessita ting
the closing of the shops-for time.
Then new men were taken On at the
old wages, and the strikers, discovering
that they had undertaken more than
they could accomplish, asked for their
old places. They were denied, the
employers refusing to discharge men
who had gone to them in their distress.
The strikers charged that all en-
ployers in that neighborhood had
entered into a conspiracy not to employ
any Of the men who went out, and a suit
was brought.in the name Of one of them
against a manufacturer for damages,
on the ground that the agreement CT
the employers was conspiracy to pre-
vent workingmen from earning living.
The case has just been decided, and
against the plaintiff, as it should have
been. The Judge says in his decision:
1t seems to be the policy Of our laws, and
one in full consistency with the enlarged
spirit of freedom of the present day, that
every man has right to determine what
branch of business he will pursue, and to
make his own contracts with whom he
pleases and on the best terms he can. He
may refuse to deal with any man or class OF
men, and 1t is no crime for any number of
persons, without an unlawful object in
view, 10 associate themselves together and
agree that they will not work for or deal
u 18th certain men or classes of men, or work
under certain pric5 or without certain
conditions. 1t seems to be we'll settled law
thai any workman or body of workmeL may
lsWfully form and act as an association for
the purpose OF protecting themselves
against the "encroachments'' of their en-
ployers.
The Judge goes on to say that en-
ployers have perfect right to combine
for mutual protection against laborers.
as Workmen have to combine for pro-
lection against the grinding employers
which seems good law as well as good
sense. Unfortunately for the
of too many labor unions, the
are conducted as If the
workmen were masters of the rights OF
both employer and employee. The lat
ter assumes the right to quit work at
any time or for any cause, and he gen.
orally arran2es to stop at time when
it will be most injurious to
his employer. He doesn't say to
the employer, Tin two weeks, or three
weeks ,''or at such time as you can ar
range your business so as to best dis
pense with my WORK, L will quit On
the contrary, he aw }its ar opportunity,
aud when he thinks rlC Il 1ioyer is in
a tight place AMI will have succumb
10 demands which may be asonable
OF otherW wise, the man stops work and
declares he will return only on q COM
plyance with the conditions which he
imposes. Even this he has legal right |
to do, though not moral one. Bat he |
s disposed to go farther, and to say
hat no o'her workman shall take mis- |
place, and he Will prevent it By force if
le can. The uareasouabla1ess of men |
hat strike is almost universal. If EN-.
oloyers w34e half a, unreasonable and |
Unjust, the public generally would
shame them back into decency. Plain
y, workmen who strike ought not to
complain if employers combine to re-
use employment to strikers. The con-
Ipiracy in such a case is excusabIe.