The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-16
LABOR AND LIBERTY.
The Attempt or tho .absr Uaioas 20 Ds
s:roy 1.ib .pty AND Nc uopsi;s, LsSsr.

49, '''' 80 ''N ituo'e u w
war uron FRYE labor. is sustained BY the i'm
terests aud iears OF politicians and the mis-
taken sympathy "f philan,hropists and theo-
retic rclormcrs. 1t Is a strange alliance OF the
the coward,y. tho Christian. and the
crank to assist, consciously or unconsciouely
the operations OF a tyranny which would he
morely ridiculous II II were not made terrible
by such support. The principles OF liberty,
which we're supposed to have been established
question Mt the lost Of centuries of
conflict. arc meckly sacrificed AT the behest OF
a turbulent party claiming unlimited privi.
logcs and repudiating all obligations.
PERHAPS the snddcst rart Of this amazing
submission TO mere audacity is furnished by
the legislation Of Congress. A specimen OF
tll,s Ia the Contract Labor law. according to
which no immigrant can be admitted into the
United states II lie has ma,ie sure tefore-
hand. BY securing the promise Of emplovmcnt.
that he will not become n rnupcr after his ar
rival. And u disgracetul oniment npon IL has
lust been furnished by the Secretary OF the
Treasury In his corresp ,ndcncc with Mr.. Conn
pers. President OF the American Federation OF
Labor. The Amalgnma,ed Association. hay.
ing got into q foolish fight with the Carnegie
Company. the consequence. "a might have
been fores"en. was the publication throughout
tho world Of the high wages offered
at the Homestead works and rejected
by that association. Those who enjoy 4
good thing like that ara usually shrewd
enough to keep quiet about il. But those men
caused the description OF their bonanza to be
telegraphed abrond. Whcrcupon Mr.. Gompers.
the head II another labor organization. in
forms the Secretary Of the Treasury thnt iron
and steel workers II appear to be coming to this
country in unusual numbers and hat this is no
doubt due to tho lax enforcement OF the Con-
f,.n ~ I :, kprI nv- aud ,,., ll,t Ia ln,,lN
detail men to enforce that law more efficiently.
And the Secretary replies that the suggestion
strikes him favorabiy! This is politics. no
doubt; hut even politics might have justified
a bettor course. The public mind Is IN a con-
dition to welcome a ringing. manly. indignant
rebuke. administered in the name OF liberty
ANA law and real labor, 10 the arrogance OF so
called labor. and Secretary Foster lost an op-
portinity when II. Jailed to speak II.
Both parties in Congress appear TO he equal
,y In haste to bow before the same fancied
power. Tho provision Incorporated in an ap-
propriation bill. forhidIing tho employment
Ivy any Government officer OF men furnished
by tho Pinkcrton or any other similar detec-
two agency. deserves to be separately dis
cussed. rs II text to the inquiry. What Is the
true character and work OF the Pinkertons?
pass it by Mt this time. the law. in itself. Is
not likely to make any change in the public
service. The Government has its W detec-
tivOs and wntrhmen. with soldiers to back
them and it is not likely that Government
officials havs employed private agencies
in these lines. The prohibition is consequent
lya sratui,nus mud empty exhibition OF tho
cringing OF one set Of demaGogues b,fore an
other set: nothing more.
The same cannot be sad % the act Of Aug.
l. 1892. which reads as follows:
Sscrio~ l. Re j. enacted by tie senate and House Of
, MeP.T.ss, ns. ,,ns! .; III Tha, i III. :.l S,.,ss .n % .m=p, etins aa
t;st.t's State! =. s IN Fl. n,.,H ny ne a; c ';"ya'nm' ut S Of . n:
s SS,ns 81 'h !. ' h.,ssv ~i IL Med pr AZ. u ' r., ssa P' ,s 81. Of
I E"n.s IN o NY one ne , "a. ,!n,,. a,y ;, an. II :nal1 he u Z ia ai
or ssSIl ;5a ito .S %1G:s a h, sp It ,n i.So RE !" Or sm "iS.sf.s s,rse I:
1 .STs more or r s".n .is Hny n .4i. la 'n's sny c ar '%sEn a.1e 81. t.
cept 10 case q e.,rs"rhinnry enerssnsS.
of S .ne I i::n tsai s s"y 7 "1' S' OF sF H., rssf M. Ct T. Of G toiamS'". ar
any contractor or sub-'ontract"r whose duty it snail bs
: e s:;;s ! y ;,; s IS 4; %. : + s e; = ; s ss, s%, M ;:ss c. g: :! e; E :''i r : ca
ass@sS sai;;y oism isasm:sanS: All Tor .s:s .ad
by n mo- ~ 10 exceed < one Thousand dollar. ., " r.:
court having Jurisdiction thereof.
1t will bc observed that this law. In ito
sweeping provisions. leaves no loophole ex-
cept that OF extraordinary emergency for
executions or notifications. Men may desire
to work overtime. for extra pay: tho nature
and circumstances OF tho work may make
nine. ten. or even twelve-hour shifts advan-
tageous and not unreasonable. But whatever
be the desire OF the lnborers or the conditions
o! tho work $50 long as they are its ordinary
conditionsl. no distinction can be permitted.
And this Interference with liberty in the name
Of labor has been dictated by men who con-
cedo to the great mass OF free laborers no
rights Mt all. md who are andaciously making
the Government a tool Of their own tyranny.
The result of this enactment will be to add
many millions OF dollars to the cost OF public
works. already enormous. In n single in.
stance the officers in charge OF extensive works.
now IN progress. estimate that their cost will
be increased by more than n million dollars.
Is there to be any end to this trucking be-
fore an irresponsible power. which needs only
to he courageously defed in order to reveal
the holiowness Of its claims. even to be
fonred? And il there Is to bu an end. might it
not well cono now?
All this does not in the least impugn the
right Of workingnen to organize or deny the
benefits which labor organizations have here.
tofore conferred upon society. CORPORATIONS
arc good things. railroads are good things. vet
nobody hssitates to hold them subject to law
and make them respect the rights OF men.
The truth Is that labor organizations. however
useful and T~raisewo"thy. may be so abused as
to plan and attempt great wrong. Whom thsy
do that they are bad. and no twaddle about
their previous goodness is u pertinent reply to
the Indictment that Justice brings against
them. What is NODDED is the firm subsection
to law OF the operations OF these trusts and
monopolics as OF any others. And in the con-
Nict which many OF these organizations have
inanguratod between the organized minority
md tho unorga;iaed majority OF the working
men OF the country. tn" sympathies OF free
mon and the protection OF the Government
should not be given 10 tho opprcssors OF labor.
tho foes OF liberty. and the violators OF law.