The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-30
THE ILLEGAL OBSTRUCTION OF
TRAFFIC.

Under the interstate commerce act rail-
road company must move all freight
offered to it in the order in which it 10 re-
ceived. under heavy penalties for neglect
or violation OF the same. Judges Kicks
and Taft rest their orders on the common
sense contention that . railway employee
has no moro right under law to do any
thing to stop the railway communication
OF the country than tho railway superin.
tendent has to obstruct 1t. Judge Davis.
of New York, in q decision in the freight
handiers' strike In July. 1882, held that
railroad corporations could be legally held
to . discharge Of their public duties As
common carriers without reference to any
controversy with employees over the cost
Of doing these duties. II railroad COM
rany tan bs compelled TO do its work,
Judge Kicks holds that employees who 70.
fuse. without reference to their pay, ito
discharge their share Of this public duty,
can in their turn be held responsible for
interference with the legal duty and obli-
CATION to keep the peoples highway open
and running" In many states the law
imposes penalty on an engineer who
leaves his engine before he has reached the
end OF his run.
The passage of the mails is generally per-
mitted by strikers who will not permit
the passage of freight. but the same logic
that recognizes the necessity and right of
one to continuous passage justifes the
claim OF the other to unbrokeu transit.
No sailor leaves his work at will; in most
states no fireman or policeman can aban-
don his duty when ho chooses. Nobody
denies that society has q right to the unin-
terrupied exercise of the public functions
OF the sailor. tho soldier. the policeman
and the fireman. and ten years ago
the New York Ereftiag Post predicted that
the time VAS near when the railroad
operator, the gas worker, the telegraph
operator and the electric light man would
not be legally permitted TO suddenly stop
1T will service OF a public character A
man can refuse such employment: he can
leave t. but he cannot arrange 10 leave /,
90 as 80 disorganixe and disable a CORPORA
ton fer the discharge of public services
which are q continuous public necessity.
and to which in the case of railways the
corporations are strictly held by the
courts,
The great strike Of locomotive engineers
on the Reading railroad, which cost that
company more than million dollars. and
cost al OF the strikers their situations.
grew out Of an attempt 20 boycott pri-
- In hNs ha % .. II
had had some difficulty with bis own emf
ployes. not those of the railway. The en-
gineers declared that they would not move
any freight coming from that warehouse.
The laws OF Pennsylvania and the United
States required the railroad company 10
move al freight offered in It's turn, under
heavy penalties for neglect or violation of
she same, go of course the railroad CON-
pany wss obliged - discharge the en-
rloyes. Judge E.eAs how says that the
lsw which forces the railroad 81 do its
duty is binding also On 81 the employees
Of that railway.
The railway managers Will not be per-
united under law TO stop the railway bust
ness; neither will any OF the employees lie
permitted 10 coEspire tor its obstruction.
The Z, Il. d =. strike Of ISIS cost that
company s. co coo. affected $500 men and
lasted yesr. Judge R.eks holds that the
laws q The land forbid anybody to issue
orders" that woald cost = railway COM
pany $4,000 and throw 900 men out Of
employment for year. 50 far as holding
that railway boycott was Illegal, judge
RieAs acted in line with legal precedent.
The supreme eecTI IF Conaesticut decided