The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-03
IT MUST BE FIGHT TO A FINISH.

II the principle asserted by President
Debs is TO be the law Of the land, then
all the rest Of us must make haste to
join the labor unions or go out Of busi-
ness. He declares II to be part of the
social compact that If a dozen coopers
making fish barrels on the coast Of Maine
fail out with the boss cooper about the
price Of barrels all the men cultivating
beets for sugar in California shall strike
and refuse to do any more work until
the boss cooper in Maine comedies the
demand Of his dozen sub-coopers. And
not only so but all other wOrkmen, In
whatever business employed. between
Maine and California. and between Michi-
gan and Texas. shall do the same
thing.
This very serious doctrine is by no
means surprising. 1t is the natural and
the logical outcome Of the preposterous
dogma of the knights Of Labor that an
injury to one is the concern of all; a
dogma as false (as understood by them,
as misleading, and as absurd as any
that was ever promulgated
1t has been evident for ten years past
was determined TO force an issue with
the rest of society upon the lines involved
in this dogma. Its leaders have been
seduously employed in arranging for
sympathetic strikes during all that time.
until they have now so far matured
their plans that they are clearly able
to involve vast areas of territory and
vast interests in the calamity that they
have been arranging for. 1t has been
clear for a long time that this issue
had to be met, and IL had Just as well
be met now as at any other time.
II is plain that society cannot concede
what President Debs demands. The clu-
zen of Texas cannot admit that he is
under duty to fight for the civil con-
tracts Of citizen Of Illinois. with whom
he has no sort Of relation. and TO
whom he is under no sort OF Obligation
Nor can the people of Texas, who are
engaged in the business of cutivating
and baling cotton. consent that an out
slider shall disorganize employments,
break UP their business, and have their
cotton ruined In the fields, because the
man who makes car wheels for Mr..
Pullman, in Illinois, is dissatisfied with
the price which Mr.. Pullman Is willing
to pay for car wheels. This pretension
must be met and defeated. or the whole
country falls at once under tyranny.
compared with which the Government OF
the Car of Russia is the miidest and
most liberty giving Of institutions.
And this is as good an occasion as
can arise for the contest. President Debs
has made the issue clearly and distinct
". Now let it be fought out There
should be absolutely no concession what
ever to him. Let It be a fight to the
finish. The railroads must stand firm
without regard to the loss that it occa-
sions them; the public must stand by and
back the railroads without regard to the
loss that IS inflicted upon It.
The whole theory Of the labor organlza-
tons rests in the fundamental error that
they have a right to cOerce acquiescence
in their demands. But that is not the
law Of life. There is no room in life
and business for the principle OF coer-
sion The foundation stone of society Is
the right of every man TO do as he will
so long as he does not tresp2ss upon
the IlSHtS OF dnOlneF. Inc ldDOrer has
the right to quit work when he will, and
the employer has the right to fill his
place with whOmsoever he will Each
must be undisturbed in the exercise of
this right by the other. But the labor
organizations are constituted upon
basis, which. in practical operation, GER
tainly denies this right not only 10 the
employer, but TO all other workmen, ex-
cept those In their own organization.
Now. all of society outside of those labor
organizations, which are controlled by
as wild men as Mr.. Debs. is interested to
preserve this right Of free contract to
all American citizens Since the labor
organizations deny the right, the rest
Of society must assert 1t. and now is as
good time as any TO fight the matter
out.
We are glad to see that no movement
has been made 10 bring this desperate
quarrel into our borders, and we earnest
ly hope for the sake of all our citi-
zens that II may never come. 1t is the
nearest approach to civil war that we
have ever had, and yet there is n,
man who values the spirit Of American
liberty who could hesitate as to his
course in such q crisis.
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Perverted Views OF Southern Opinion.