Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-05
LIBERTY NOT YET GAINED.
Justice Brewers Remarks ON . MANI
Right 60 Work Undisturbcd.

Justice Brewers Remarks on o Man's
Right 90 Work Undisturbed.
Justice Brewer Of the United States Supreme
Court spoke yesterday at the Woodstock. Conn,
celebration on "The Liberty Of Each Individ-
ual In the course Of his remarks he said:
The most noticeable social fact Of today ID
that Of the combination of capital and the or
ganization Of labor. Whatever may be the
causes, and whatever may be the results, good or
bad. the fact is beyond dispute that the trend
OF the two great industrial forces of capital and
labor Is along the line of consolidation and CO.
operation. L am not here to decry this ten
oency. realize full well that only through
TINS movement are the great material achieve
menus OF the day possible; but one thing 10
clear, tnd that is that the penalty which the
nation pays for all its benefits is the growing
oisposition to sacrifice the individual to the
mass, 10 make the liberty Of the one something
wnicn may be ruthlesslv trampled into the
many.
capital combine may as is claimed. pro-
auce better. cheaper and more satisfactory re-
sui,s IN manufacture, transportation and gem
erai business but too often the combine il NOT
content with the voluntary cooperation OF such
Snoo'e 70 JOIN IL grasps at monopoly and
.eeHs 70 crush out all competition. IL any in
dividual prefers his independent business. how
ever small, and refuses TO join the combine il
proceeds TO assail that business With its
accumulation OF wealth, il can afford for awhile
80 largely undersell as to speedily destroy it
1t thus brushes or swallows the individual ana
he Is assaulted as though he were IN outlaw
SO 1t rs with organizations Of labor The
eaders order a strike; the Organization tbrows
down its tools and ceases TO work. No indi-
vid uai member dare say, 81 have q family TO
support, prefer 10 work, but is forced 10 90
with the general body. Not content With tb,s.
the organization too often attempts by force TO
keep away other laborers IL stands with its
accumulated power Of numbers not merely 10
coerce Its individual members, but also To
threaten any outsiders who seek 70 take tbeir
places. Where is the individual laborer who
dares assert his liberty and act as he pleases in
the matter of work; where is the individual
contractor or employer who can carry on his
business as he thinks best?
The constant cry is that tins compulsion OF
united action will result in increased wages.
and thus in added benefits TO each individual,
and ON this plea of resulting good the indi-
vidual is forced 70 throw away his own liberty
and surrender to the organization. But Is an
improved material condition the only aim Of
human effort and the crown Of human exist
ence? In the ante-bellum days, we all re-
member how slavery was defended on account
of its benefit to the slave. Support with
ordinary labor in times Of health and strength
food and care in days Of old age and weak
ness; again and again it was asserted. that he
was so much better off than those left 70
struggle for themselves Penitently and with
shame we look back to long tolerance with that
argument produced in the mind of the nation
But Is servitude to a single man less Of slavery
than servitude to an organization?
Ii viii be said that the law then enforced
slavery, while in the eve Of the law today every
man Is free. But law is the reflex Of and not
stronger than the public sentiment beck Of 1T
lou may MI your statutes with all the provi-
sions that the mind Of man can conceive Of
guaranteeing personal liberty: but unless YOU
have back of those statutes a universal public
opinion, laundering ''stop" in the ear Of every
tresspssser upon such liberty, you may find
| within the forms of law the most abject per-
sonal servitude. So long as any single nan the
humblest and the weakest in the land may not
enter into business or engage in labor such as
his means will permit and his inclination de-
termine, Just so long is personal liberty an un-
accomplished fact.