The sun., 1893-03-27
ON STRIKES and THE LAWS.
Col. IngersoIi, Henry George, and Others
Talk About Recent DecisIons.


Tho decision OF United stntes Judge F. c.
Billings touching the late general strike In
New Orleans. in which no declares general
strikes to be Illegal II in nnv way they restrain
the freedom OF commerce. befoRged labor
leaders again yesterday. and set lawyers to
thinking. The business OF the Central Labor
Union was disposed OF in hurry In order
that tho delegates might have time TO talk
about IL. Few lawyers who we're seen are
willing to discuss II until they think 1t over.
Col. Robert q. InRersoll said:
As n general rule men have right to quit
work. but not to prevent others from taking
their places. BY this do not mean to say that
strikers may not use persuasion and argu-
ment to induce other people to refrain from
going to work In places where there are
strikes. Men. OF course. may 'conspire' to
quit work, but how Is any one to prove It. One
man may quit. or several hundreds may quit
together. and there may be nothing to prevent
them from doing so. have not gone fully
into the decisions Of Judge Kicks or Judge
Billings. but in general way believe they
were at least an. acknowledg ment OF the
principle OF public control or regulation OF
railroads and commerce Railroads. 1t is true.
are run for private profit. yet they are u public
service. and as such the public has an interest
in them. The same principle applies to the
commerce OF the country. At the same time
do not think that the decisions will have any
lasting effect upon organized labor. Many
strikes may be illegal. but the numbers in
volved make tho cour. powerless."
dent dent 81 III tSe Sa,iepai Brotherhcod Of Surface
They may make as many decisions as they
please. but men will 60 on striking Just the
HOY voIK ana Ss e
fifty from leaving. 1t does not follow that this
Is cSnsrlracy Strikes may te 1nrdsre,
certed agreement without any orders Re
Il '' would Be difrcnit to say when striE ers
stepped across the line where legal strikes end
ana James n1ss T. Archibaid. delegate OF the paper
This WIN only make working ,psople, or.
ganizine TO k eep up wages. As to the legality
dH beevs Ss sre
Judge on tho bench who can define the law SO
as s, t. Say S when strike
I. T.. said that he would Ce glad to see the law
Henry George said:
This is bat another attempt to bind down n
etser 'Rinss IS With WheS the courts IS cannos can Or
tss sh to at s
and for to attempt
Of violence is to enter upon untenable
on dangerous ground. They hight ms well try
with its necessary weapon. the strike. could be
prevented by prohibitions and penalties. 1t
could never have grown UP in Great Britain.
where courts and legi s,atures did their ut
most to put it down. under conditions far more
favorable to the attempt than those which ex-
ist in tho United States to-day.
Strikes are hut war but only passive war.
They are necessarily destructive in their ma
ants in the sufferings they cause And they
become more destructive. and inc ude larger
area in these losses and suf1erings the
division of labor becomes more minute and
the ram hcations OF exchange extend. Under
meath their infringement OF natural right lie
these deeper and wider niringements Of natur-
al right which are concentrating veal and
power in the hands Of the, few and making rhe
laborer helpless. save rs he can combine aud
fight for his own hand"