Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-11

the law OF the land, not as the law Is
generally understood, but according to
| the principles OF the law which
must hereafter be applied to the
solution Of these troubles, that
those men had the right to be there.
That makes il necessary for me TO as
sert that these men had right TO en-
ployment there, they had earned the
right TO live there, and these large man
ufacturing eStablishments-and there
is n other road out of this question
must hereafter be understood TO be pub
lie establishments In the modified sense,
which / will explain in a moment, in
which the public is deeply Interested,
aud the owners OF these properties must
hereafter be regarded as holding their
property subject TO the correlative
rights OF those without whose services
the property would be utterly valueless.
That concession which l make only
comedies 10 them right to a reasona-
BILE profit on the capital invested in
their enterprises.
maintain furthermore, that these
labOrers having been in that service,
having been engaged there, ha wing
spent their lives in this peculiar line OF
service, have the right 10 insist upon
the permanently OF their employment,
and they have the right to insist, too,
upon a reasonable compensation for
their services.
We talk about the civil service law
as applicable to government employ
ment. ] assert that there is a law
wider aud broader than that, which
gives TO these men who have been bred
in these special pursuits, as, for exam
pie, In the service Of railroads or OF
these vast manufacturing establish
mentS, a right to demand employment,
right which can only be deteate by
misconduct Oh their part.
maintain, therefore, that at the time
Of the assault upon these people at
Homestead they were there where they
had a right 10 be, they were upon ground
they had a right to defend. Do you ask
me if these men may by force take pos
session Of the property of another? No.
They were conducting themselves in the
/ line of their rights, as 1 understand
] them. Business was suspended, and
/ these men were simply awaiting the set
Element of the disputed questions be-
I tween them and their employers.
Mark me, maintain the right OF the
owners of property to operate it at their
will: I maintain the right OF the opera
/ tives to assist in It's operation;
1 maintain the rights Of both par
/ ties to reasonable compensation for
their services; l maintain the right OF
these laborers to continuous employ
/ ment, dependent not upon the will alone
/ of the employer, but dependent upon
/ the good conduct Of the employees.
Mr.. President, this is The only road
out of the difficulty. You may call out
the militia Of the State of Pennsylvania,
and you may exterminate all the inhabit
ants of that beautiful and thirty village
and what is done? Human life has again
been sacrificed in one OF these struggles
for human rights, Do you establish the
right Of these large establishments to
control their business? On the con
trary, the labOring men OF the
country, so conscious of the exist
ence OF this right which l assert, the
right 10 continue in employment dur
ing good behavior, will continue to re-
sist, and this social war will be upOr
| you, and il becomes the duty OF Chris
tian statesmen, republican statesmen,
to find some road out Of this difficulty
Within my lifetime 1 have seen mar
yelous changes. There was time
when indiyidualiSm was the universe
rule aud men lived alone almost, be-
cause they could support themselves
but matters have changed. To-day the
world is practically divided between thu
employers and the employees. do moi
take into account those neglected agri
cultural districts, those farm laborerS
for whom nobody seems 20 care, fol
In all the discussions OF tariff
policy we have, nobody ever speaks
of the tOiler upon the farm
We speak of organized labor and skilled
labor, but when we come to talk abou
the white or black men who toll upoT
the farm from the rising Of the sun tt
the going down thereof and speak O.
the influence OF legislation upon these
men, we DO not regard them. II WI
pray for them, we pray for them yer!
much as Brougham said the Queen wa
prayed for, for the deSOlate aud the op
pressed; II we legislate, they are not re
garded; but this organized labor is
power in the State. You must regard
it; you must adjust II.
How can you adjust il? You can no
do it by asserting what l ADMIT to b,
true, that every man has a right TO TIT
control of his own property in his owl
way; il he does not like to go to-worE
for the Carnegies he may go TO work fol
somebO iy else. You can not settle /
in that way. You can not settle il b!
saying thai Mr.. Carnegie has right L
employ whomsoeyer he pleaseS. Thos,
are old truisms which have no applica
cation in this changed condition, wheT
organized capital furnishes us all tina
we have; IL furnishes all our food; i
furnishes all our clothing; it fur
nishes our physicians; 1 believe i
rs now furnishing our lawyers
and it is said that 1t has furnished US
our legislators sometimes, although
that is SANDER which am not dis
posed TO indOrse. That being the case,
you have got to End some road out.
You can not admit the absolute right
OF capital; you can not admit the ALSO.
lutte right or labor; you have got TO au-
Just their rights upon some basis.
What is il? That the manufacturing
establishment is a public institution, as
the railroads are held to be-public be
cause they work for the public, public
because they employ the public, public
because men in their service become
unit for other services, and public be
cause there are thousands dependent
upon them for food and nurture.
Thus we have recognized the right Oi
the capitalist TO the control of his prop.