New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-11
TaROR AND THE PcBLIC.

In thi, most unrcstful OF all countries. whore
il is the proud boast Of the people that the
S;agnation OF dcspOiSm Is unknown ana I'M
ncs.ihlc and that perpetual change lnsuucS per
,c,u,I Ur.crc>>. the forces which Stimuat" UNI
rest mr., art I, be to, much encouraged. We
have learned that America is not shooting
Niagara" AID that the conservative forces mere
a,o vastly greater than Mr.. Carlyle imagined.
Hut thc IN ughtTul American always recognizes
the fat nevertheless, that tho engine needs
its governor. and the nicely djllStcd watch IT.
balanrc- wheel, and the most swiftly moving
train its brake. TO got forward rapidly II j
impcr!tiyely necessary at times t. have power
TO arrest movement until further progress l.
possible.
Labor agitation is n perpetual force OF nm
rc>t. which i not 10 be regretted E)r dS-
palagcd. 1t i not merely the right al the
Iabcrrr T. strive continually for a better con
di,on, but the public prosperity in the high' s.
and host sense requires that he should 50 strive
Hi, unceasing effort t. do better is the steam
in tn" cylinder which moves tho car OF prog
rc>s. But the brake i needed not the less
The time comes when labor agitation asks TOO
much. or employs unsafe methods. IL asks too
mich. not merely because more than employ
crs can safely grant but because more than
in n particular branch Of service Is consistent
with the highest public prosperity. The agi-
tator is prone T. fOrg that 2OoOo'Voo wage
carncrs have 3 pay the increase in the com
rcnsation for services which 5000 wage
c,rncrs NAV demand. The burden actually
falls. not upon capital merely, but upon CON
l. IL, no. alI la
If which is enhanced by higher wages or
shcrtcr hours, or better terms When one
fraction of tho working force demands and
obtains more than is share. that is an injustice
10 all the rest Of the working force. The
brake is needed at times also, when methods
arc employed which tend t. deprive the public
Of its rights The public means all other wage
carncrs If the 100000 employ unjust
methods the wrong is felt by none more Sc
ycrclv or MIRO surely than by the remaining
90 600 600 aborcrs, whose freedom may be
a,slilcd or whose rights may be denied. The
great truth that injury or wrong to the public
il always and mainly wrong to almost the
whole laboring population. Obvious as 1t IS.
labor agitation is exceedingly apt TO forget.
Yet there can be no justice for labor, no
effective defence Of the rights OF labor, no
solid progress in the condition of labor that is
not based upon and controlled by this funda-
mental truth \ little knot Of working mo-
nopolisis who strive e. shut ont everybody else
from their avccatian, and to co"rcc everybody
else in paying the highest possible price for the
services they can render may forget il all the
time but they arc actually robbing the great
body OF labcrcrs nevertheless.
The questions which recent decisions of the
courts have brought into public notice have
two phases They have concerned in part an
especial class of workers employed on roads
the operation Of which is affected by the Inter
state Commerce act. but they concern far moro
a larger class whose relations are not 50 limited
at ALL As to all labor the question is raised
how far boycott' and strikes can be employed
without incxcusable injury to the public-that
is. to the great body of laborcrs. 1t is impor-
tant for all concerned t. understand that the
question ut issue is not between any organiza
ton and tho employers, but between the or
ganzation and the public-that u.s. between the
organization and the vast majority of wage
carnc,s. If the methods in question are wrong
because huItful to the people, and because they
deprive lndlNluu1S Oh Ihcir rights, IL II PLAIN
that the brake ought to he applied in the in.
tcrcsts of all the people alike. 1t is also plain.
from tho decisions already rendered that tho
law protects workingmen as well as employers.
Its object is to protect the public from Injustice
done by either. If conspiracy by workers de-
prives the public of prosperity and derives
individual, of their rights, the same law coual-
ly restricts combinations by employers which
have the same result. When men understand
as some already do, that the laws are for the
benefit and protection of all, and not for the
benefit OF either narrow class, respect for law
and obedience to law will be quickly accorded
by Americans who appreciate their bilthricht
of freedom.
In an article dealing with the French sbor. co,-