Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-09-06
MINING JOURNAL.
FRosTBURG, MD, SEPTEMBER 6, 1890.
Nothing to Arbitrate"-the Golden
Text of the Gospel of Universal
Right

Right.
The JOURNAL cannot, of course, de-
bate questions of law with its esteemed
correspondent, Benz. A. Richmond.
But it is compelled to stand now and
hereafter by the position it assumed
last week-that Mr.. Webb's right,
whether as an individual or represent
alive of a corporation, to employ or
discharge, either without giving a
reason why, is a vital part of his alb
solute and lnalienable right to do
any LAWFUL act.
A great portion of Mr.. Richmond's
agonizing argument is, therefore, lost
upon us. We stand now just where
we did last week-upon the rock of
individual liberty, the foundation
stone of all the immunites of a SOW
ereign citizen.
AS to the incorporation of the New
York Central railroad company, it is
presumed that the people of New York
surrendered only so many of their
DIS WtIc CSStuIldl w lllC
and existence of the corporate body
no more. Among those not surren
dered was the right to work for it or
not, as the sovereign chooses. This
without question either way. Among
the rights indispensable to the es-
tablishment and operation of the body
g., f1n lant RI fbn
individuals option to work or not-the
right to employ whomsoever it elected
without question blythe non-elect, or
discharge the employee without in
curing master workman's inquest,
or any other exceedingly modern brand
of inquisition.
Anything further in this case is folde-
rol. All Mr.. Richmonds legal en-
dowments and restrictions of the cor
poration do not add to or take one
jot or title from the vital question
has Mr.. Webb the right to discharge
employees without giving a reason
why?
w Z dlllEul lHbI ut Has, DtCduSc lIliJ
right was born with him, and in him !;
it is vital portion of his being as
much as his right to breathe it en-
bodies the individuality and sovereign
ty which God breathed into man when
"He created him in His own image"
and he has enjoyed it by unbroken and
L l. l..
He cannot, if he would, separate him
self from it; he cannot sink it in a
corporation whose spokesman he be-
comes, for no corporation created by
man, Or "uncreated by Cod can alb
sorb it no monopoly obtain exclusive
control of it. 1t is the intransfusible
blood-the lncommunicable breath of
life.
AS such it is not subject to arbitra-
ton, neither, indeed, can be.
But we will try to get close to Mr.
Richmond. He wants to know how
we can 'pretend to say that the people,
the public, the State-the creator,
has no right to call upon it's creature
for it's reasons for its discharge of the
experienced employee ?"
We have denied no man, no power,
no authority the right to ask all the
questions they please. This is men
toned mainly to show that like much
other of Mr.. Richmond's appeal to a
maudlin sentiment, this question is
not in issue.
But who did ask Mr.. Webb the i'm
pertinent question-",chy he dis
charged so and so p Was it the "peo-
pie 2" the public ?" the Estate ?"
Not one of the three. But who did !?
"Tell 1t not in Gath nor publish it in
the streets of Askalon pit was 7. v.
Powderly!
Who is Powderlyg Is he the
people ?" Is he the ''public?" Is he
the Estate p No; he is grand master
workman of the Knights of Labor, an
institution organized and run out of
sight of the people," out of heari ng
of the "public," and as far as possible
from the purview of the Estate"
This man, Powderly, personifying a
secret order, organized for public pur-
poses, and panoplied only in the gall
of high muck muck dark-lanternism
he goes and demands O that the
discharged men be re-instated (2)
the reasons for discharge, and g.
failing successfully in the two first,
that Mr.. Webb's right to discharge
for any reason be arbitrated.
Mr.. Powderly alleges, and Mr..
Richmond believes him, that Mr..
Webb said the men were discharged
for drunkenness y that "they were not
put off for being Knights of Labor"
Mr.. Richmond coinciding. Be that
as it may-we are impeaching no
mans veracity-the question remains
what had Mr.. Powderly to do with
it7 OF whom was he taking care
"Drunkards ?" No; he was looking
after Knights of Labor. If they had
been discharged for being Methodists,
Baptists, or Presbyterians, Mr.. Pow
derby would have let Mr.. Webb kick
them into the bOttOmless pit, and he