The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-21
LABOR ORGANIZATION AND PHYS
ICAL FORCE.

The RailTdy World, referring to the
strike at Buffalo, which proved so great a
failure and was marked by acts of vio-
lence and tyranny, says:
Every fresh outbreak is followed by the
stereotyped declaration that it was not the
strikers, but evil-dispOsed persons over whom
they had no control, who were guilty of the
violent acts that excite the fears of the COM
munity. These statements would be of more
value if they were true. Had the authorities
taken the strikers at their word and relaxed
their vigilance 1t would have been quickly
seen how much these assurances were worth.
Which occasions the New York ,SWn to
call the attention of labor organizations
to the fact that in order to maintain them
selves level with their declarations they
must explain to the people how it is that
they cannot restrain their membership
| from acts of violence, while claiming to
be sufficiently powerful to order out for a
strike and expect and receive obedience?
! The question is one that labor organi-
zation cannot evade. Labor interests are
too great, and the welfare of the skilled
workers of the nation is too precious for
any such question to be put aside as
trivial. It is as the New York Tribune
says:
a labor movement, in order to enlist pub
/ lie support, must be conducted by peaceabe
| means. SO long as this is done there is gener-
| ally among disinterested men sincere desire
| for d compromise OF some kind, or at least for
| an impartial hearing, by which real griev-
ances of the wor1men may be examined by
| their employers and substantial Justice may
1 he rendered Rllt when the mild
! tions of the leaders are followed by such
| scenes of lawleSsneSS as have been enacted in
Buffalo, the strike is Judged not by the ami
| able phrases of the Grand Master but by the
incendiary and lawless acts of the mob which
defies the authorities. When leaders of such
movements say that they desire to win only
| by peaeeable Observation-Disclosures they must
/ prove that they mean exactly what they say.
| They must control their men. They must es-
| tablish discipline over their rank and file SO
| absolute that any marauder who sets fire TO
car or threatens TO attack an officer of the law
| will be blacklisted. branded as q traitor TO the
cause of labor, and either drummed ignomin-
| iously out of the organization to the tune of
/ the 'Rogue's March," or, better still, be sur
| rendered to the courts for prompt punish
ment.
Every sincere friend of laboring men;
every citizen who stands for fair play
equally to capital and labor; every man
who is self-respecting, and demands no
more from another than he is willing
himself to do or submit to, will agree
| that labor organization is not complete,
that its chief end is not and cannot be at
tanned until it is able to absolutely control
its membership by conviction of duty to
self and to society in depressing lawless-
1 ness when strikes are ordered.
Now it is within the capacity of labor
organization to do this; it can discipline
and control its forces. The moment it
does so it POUNDS new and irresistible
claim upon public sympathy and conf
dence. When it accomplishes that it will
have become great conservative, not a
! disturbing force; power operating
through methods that invade the rights
of no other men, and trespass upon no
guarantees of the law to any. When labor
| organization. we repeat, can, as it must,
if it attains the purpose of its creation,
conduct its campaigns, contests and
strikes without the probability of its
membership committing acts of violence,
forcible restraint or intimidation; with
out trespass, invasion or ejectment; II
will have risen to level that will COM
1mand for it universal respect.
4 For it is undeniable that the potency OF