The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-15
THE BUTTE PRINTERS.

The action of the printers on the Butte
Miner is matter worthy of some consider
alton. a prominent and influential news
paper has been compelled to temporarily
suspend publication because of such action,
and when, results involving so much to
proprietors, if not to a certain section of
the public, are precipitaued, it is time to ask
the why and wherefore of the difficulty.
No one who recognizes the worth and
stability of skilled and intelligent labor
will attempt to disparage it or place any
obstacles in the way Of organization for
self-protection and systematic effort. I'm
der such circumstances, it can better make
its influence felt as factor for good, and it
can more agreeably arrive at satisfactory
conclusions with the employer class. This
Is all as it should be, and tho directors, if
any, are not entitled to consideration But
it should always be understood that there
are limits beyond which no form of con
stitutsd authority should seek to go, and
where it will not to be permitted to 90 if it
should so seek. There may be no specially
drawn and regularly adopted bill of rights
or formal constitution; but there is always
the understanding which exists to
greater or less extent between man and
man, and to which we are won't to appeal
for substantial justice when encroach-
ments, wearing the form of regularity, ap-
pear.
Printers. as a rule, are men of intelli-
gence and education, not merely the learn
ing CLEANED from books, but that more
/ hat al i.b Of Oh,
with bright minds, of association with the
best thoughts of the times, and of CON
tinuous communion with the great and
growing problems of the age. They are by
such means favored to a degree largely
above and beyond that which laborers in
other departments of life occupy, and they
deserve the respect which they generally
receive because of it. 1t is such prestige
AID such solid ground for it to stand upon
that should cause them to steer clear of any
thing savoring of autocracy or despotism,
not for that reason only, but for the con
comitant and paramount reason that this is
not a land wherein despotism in any form
can take deep root and thrive. Public
opinion, in the main, is the greatest and
most unerring Judge of human affairs; no
combination amounting to merely an Or
gained form of labor, nor in fact any con-
| siderable division of society itself. can long
stand out against the DEGREES coming from
such source; and our statement that pub
lie opinion, wherever the facts are known.
is sternly against the Butte typographical
union, has much more solid basis than
mere guess work.
1t might not be SO bad if the printers had
confined themselves to their own sphere of
action. They did not do this, but went
further and entered the business depart
ment of the paper, demanding removals
there as though the propretors of the
paper were only SO many stool pigeons
whose special function IL was to resent aay
private grievance which any printer
might happen to have. The proprietors
properly resented the demand as an
encroachment on their rights as business
men, and the printers left in body Of
course, abstractly considered, they had a
right TO leave il they wanted to do so; but
was it honorable OF Just And if the Miner
shall hereafter refuse to recognize the
union altogether, and shall build I'D an in
dependent and antagonistic organization
whose natural effect will be the weaken
ing Of the society which forced it into such
a position, to what and whom will the
| printers appeal for sympathy and support
! in such an emergency