The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-07-27
A PREPcSTEROUS DOCTRINE.


board" of the strikers association at
Homestead, after stating that the en-
ployes In the Carnegie "works have for
many years been faithful co-workers
with the company in the business of the
mill" says:
Therefore the committee desires to
press TO the public as its firm belief that
both the public and the employees aforesaid
have equitable rights and interests in the
SAID mill. which cannot be modified or d.
the employees have the right to continuous
employment in the said mill during eff-
cheney and good behavior without regard
Co religious, political or economic opinions
and associations; that it Is against public
policy and subversive of the fundamental
principles of American liberty that whole
community of workers should be denied
employment or suffer any other social dot
rment on account of membership In q
church. political party or trades-union.
This is the doctrine recently asserted
in the Senate by Senator Palmer and by
the Indianapolis News. which says:
'The conviction is growing that en-
plOyes have. of right. some sort of share
in the property they create"
We have drifted good way from
sound principles when such doctrines as
this can find deliberate expression in
quarters claiming to be we'll informed,
and acceptance even by few people
who still claim to be honest. law abiding
citizens. TO appreciate the absurdity,
unreasonableness and dishonesty of the
doctrine it must be remembered that
every one of the Carnegie employees has
worked for the company under con-
tract, voluntarily entered into by him
self, by which he was to render certain
service for certain pay. This contract
was equally binding on both sides. The
company had no right to exact extra
hours of labor, nor the workman to de-
mand extra Ply. When the service was
rendered anu the stipulated wages paid,
that ended the contract. The workman
had no more right to claim additional
compensation than the company had
to demand additional work. The
workman no more acquired a part
interest in the property than the
mill owners did in the workman.
Ii it be true, as the advisory committee
says. that the workmen "have equitable
rights and interests in the mill,n they
should enforce their rights in court of
equity. IF it be true, as they say, that
1.-THE employees have the right to contin-
good behavior" then it must be equally
true that they have no right to quit
work as long as the company wants
them to continue. Under q contract
there can be no rights and obligations
on one side without corresponding ones
on the other. If employees have right
to work as long as they choose to de-
mand it. then they are bound to con-
tinue as long as the employer chooses
to demand. Thus we have state
of bondage on both sides in which
the law of contracts and individual
rights are lost sight of.
This doctrine of acquired rights is
full of m onstrous absurdities. If an
employe who has worked continuously
in factory or ION a farm for twenty
years acquires a certain proprietary
right therein, then the employe who has
worked one year acquires one-twentieth
as much. and all employees in proper
ton. 1t follows logically that every
person who works even single day for
wages acquires, in addition to his wages.
an equitable right and interest in the
property, which, as the advisory COM
mittee says, "cannot be modified OF di-
verted without due process of law"
Every stone cutter, brick layer, hod-
carrier, carpenter, plumber, paper
hanger, glazier and gas-fitter that
assiets in building house, working un-
der contract or for days wages, ac-
quires an equitable right and interestin
the house. In short, every person who
hires man to do days work for him
thereby parts with a portion of his prop
erty, in addition to the wages he agrees
to pay. and makes the person he en-
ploys a co-partner in his business. And
this doctrine lie actually being preached
by persons who think they are intelli-
gent and law-abiding. The only suita-
BILE answer to such preposterous propo-
sitions is an. exclamation point