The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-04-07
FRIDAY. APRIL 4. isDs.



Tho decision Of Judge Kicks, recent
ly delivered, In which he draws
tho line very clearly and dis
tinetly between strikes and boycotts.
cannot fail to effect some change
amongst labor organizations. and az
. consequence will leadt to better UNI
derstanding of the rights and prlvi-
1eges Of employers and employees. II
It docs this, which 1t cannot help but
DO. . great benefit must result To the
country. alike beneficial to labor and
TO the employers OF labor. It has
been estab iished beyond dispute that
1nter-state railroads come under fed
oral jurisdiction. Congress has recog-
nized this fact so far TINT 1t has ap-
pointed a commission of eminent jur-
hats and has committed into their
hande the traffic OF such roads as
far as freight charges and many other
things ore concerned, and this COM
mission has decided that there are Ger.
tain things railroads may do and may
not.
Upon this hypothesis, which seems
TO be strong one. Judge Kicks rem.
dared his decision that inasmuch az
the railroads are restricted from doing
certain things which are inimical to
the general good. SO the employees also
can be restrained from doing that
which would be harmful to the public.
When, therefore. the Brotherhood Of
Locomotive Engineers ordered strike
and followed 1t with q boycott where
by 1t undertook to stop all the traffic
OF a certain road, 1t entered into Q
conspiracy. which Is unlawful and
prejudicial to the public welfare.
There Is so much Of good, solid, hard
sense In this decision that it is hard tc
see how 1t can be eontroverted. It Is
bard TO say what effect this decision
will have upon organized labor.
It has already been met with tie
strongest kind OF criticism, but Its
most salient points remain unassailcd
The decision recognizes the right Of
labor to strike for its rights II IL i:
dissatisfied. but 1t holds that the boy
colt IL a harm-working agent that Is
intolerable under our laws. Men ma,
quit their employment at any time
they please, but that ends their power
to harm or interfere with the work Of
business Of their former employers.
They cannot quit the service aud set
upa conspiracy to do still furthel
harm, and thereby ipjure hundreds o.
thousands OF innocent persons. The
courts have been slow to act upon thil
theory OF the case. but as Judge Rick!
has led tho way in proper solution
OF the labor problem SO far as it re
lates to strikes and boycotts, Others
will no doubt follow and this favorit,
weapon of dissatisfied labor will M
doubt promptly fall into disuse. Tn,
decision is not against the best inter
ests OF labor. There have teen a mum
Der OF very large and serious strikei
during tho pnst year, all OF which hav,
been more iniinical to labor than t,
the business firms or companies
against which they were aimed.
The Homestead and Buffalo strike
are cases IL point, proving that labo
was the. greater sufferer. Communitle
and corporations can withstand heav
losses but they soon recuperate. Nc
90 with labor. Language cannot e,
press the suiferlngs of labor and tn
hardships following q prolonge
strike. 1t is oftener the case tina
otherwise that labor in demandin
much loses all.