New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-14
OPG1NIZED LABORS MISTAKES.

ORGANIZED LABORS MISTAKES.
The capital mistake made by the leaders OF
organized labor is in assuming ut the outset that
| their mission Is to make war That the reia
tons between employers and employed are ana
must be in the very nature OF things irrecoh-
cilably hostile, and that though there may De
an occasional truce cessation of hostilities, II
is only that each side may take advantage OF
| the pause to outmanoeuvre the other ana gam
| some tactical or strategic advantage Tor the
next inevitable encounter. The idea OF an en-
during peace or any adjustment OF relations
upon the basis Of n permanent mutual under
standing for the advantage and profit OF both
! apparcntly does not enter into their calculations
| and will not be entertained. COncurrently with
this theory runs the crude notion, now obsolet"
among civilized nations. that AIS fair in war.
! Acting upon this latter view, they have not
scrupled at times 10 take what would be con-
sidercd by any intelligent, upright man an I'M
| fair advantage Of the exemption from personal
! pccunary responsibility afforded by the circ1m-
stance that their organizations not being in
| corporatcd and having no visible property nor
! legal status cannot be held to the performance
Of contracts or the fufment Of obligations 1t
is serious mistake To assume, in the first place,
that between employers and employed there
must be- chronic war. and a much more serious
mistake that In the prosecution OF hostltles
either party can gain anything in the end by
violating the recognized rules OF honorable war
fare and repudiatng engagements which they
have deliberately assumed. Such things imply
rccklessness and folly in the leadership and
slavish subscrvency on the part of the fol
lowers.
A brief but striking illustration of the liabil-
ity of labor organizations to fall into mistakes
Of this character was afforded in the disturb
ancc which occurred a few days ago in the
harmonious relations existing between The
Tribune and It's composing employees. a
statement of which was made at the time.
This case I'm which the employees had
no grievance whatever rs 10 wages or hours OF
labor anything else affecting them personally.
Nor was it question between the employment
Of Union or non-Unon printers. The principle
Of organized Labor and the right OF organized
Labor To protect itself were not at stake; did
not enter into It. The issue raised was between
two Labor organizations; the representatives Of
one in the composing room demanding that the
representatives Of rival organization in the
storeotyplng department be- summary dis
charged. The formal demand was made at halls
past { o'clock In the afternoon. and the pub
fishers were Informed that. unless II was ac
ccded to. at O'Clock the entire force in the
composing room would abandon their situations
There Is no need 10 dwell upon the unrcason-
abcness Of the demand that The Tribune should
upon such short notice or any notice enlist In
war II cStcrIunaion made by one Labor or
ganZation against another What We desire to
call attention 10 Is the method by which II
intended 10 compel compliance on the part of
The Tribune. Observe the alternative offered. or
rather the penalty threatened. In terms IL was
simply that unless The Tribune should upon
less than two hours notice discharge portion
Of lis regular force In one department. thereby
gripping Itself In some measure. the entire
force In another department would walk out and
compel II 10 cease publication for that, Of
course was III" purpose Fortunately. camer
counsels prevailed 1t was seen that n mistake
had been made and after the office had been
subjected 10 great Inconvenience and expense
the whole force returned 10 work at midnight
after Withdrawing their demands and asserting
20 conditions which the publishers for their own
security felt It necessary 10 impose.
The whole proceeding was IN inexcusablc
breach Of confidence and high handed attempt
10 Use the supposed possession Of power for pur-
poses Of intimidation No newspaper publisher
could afford To yield To such pressure, for. aside
from the sacrifice of s"lfrcspect it involved, II
meant a complete surrender Of business manage
mcnt to irresponsible persons II is very mild
characterization Of II To call il a mistake Of
thoughtcss. impatient men who had not con
sldcrcd the moral quality Of their action or It's
logical consequences But it was the sort Of
thing that men who have any sense Of honor or
honesty cannot do twice without The loss OF
something more than position OF character.
The lesson ought not 10 be lost upon the men
who are most Interested as leaders and cham
pons Of organized Labor. Such things go far
To destroy that confidence and sympathy on the
par, Of the public generally. rs well as Of the
employers Of labor. without which the cause
cannot prosper. The Tribune Is the friend of
organized Labor. and It Is simply because of
that frcndlincss that il takes this occasion 10
point out the mistakes to which IL Is exposed
by the rccklcssncss Of incompetent leaders