The Yellowstone journal., 1894-11-12
THE RIGur- OF LABOR.

If there ever WAS "a claim doubly and
trebly dsproved by the facts, 1t is the
one SO frequently advanced by labor agi- |
tators and peoples party politicians. that
the laws and the courts are all on the
side of capital and against labor, So far
is this from the truth. that we can re-
cal! 70 case in wbich the courts have |
come with such promptness and unani-
nifty to the defense of any cause as they |
have TO tnat OF the rights Of labor No
millionaries, no corporations, no vested |
interest, was ever able to procure from |
the highest judicial authorities such
decisions as have been given by the best
lawyers end Judges in the United States.
From the over ruling Of thc order Of
Judge Jenkins and the decision of Judge
Caldwell in the Union Pacific case down
to the opinion of Attorney General Oh
.ney in the case Of employees of the Read
ing railroad, we have a consistent series
Of principal and precedents whose effect
is to establish beyond disturbance or
interference Of the right of the laboring
man to peaceful enjoyment of his in
dividual liberty.
There is nothing particularly fresh
or striking about Mr.. Olney's communi
cation. In fact, had it appeared earlier
it would have been open to the suspic-
ion of having been prepared for cam
paign purposes. The receivers of the
Reading railroad issued a notice to the
employees of the company that, unless
they resign their connection with GER
tain labor organizations by given date
they must leave the service of the com
pany. To this Mr.. Olney turns his
attention, and lays down in the most
emphatic way the negative of the posi-
tion taken by the president and receiver
of the road. We do not need go over
again ground already familiar Of course
the attorney general reiterates the right
of an. employe to act as peases him in
his private capacity; to combine with
Others for their mutual benefit; and like
wise to strike. il the strike is conducted
without violence or intimidation. All Of
tuiS 10 uidtAeL aiAcdus idhlldi W hhc
courts.
The impolicy Of such a ruling is also
pointed out. The suggestion that strikes
may occur without previouso sorganization
and that they are least hurtful when a
prior organization obliges them to be
considered carefully before being order
zed, is borne out by recent experience
1t is the the newly organized orders like
the A. r. o., full of fervor, without ex
perience and without a due comprehen
sion of what their acts may mean. which
are readiest to order strike and least
scrupulous in carrying it out. Here as
generally, the rule of the greatest free
dom Of action compatible with equal
freedom on the part Of others is a good
one. Labor organizations are approved
by the laws of the land; and receivers of
railroads who are acting as officers of the
courts will not be permitted to Danish o
ostracize them. This has been and
must be, however, so universal ,,the pol
icy OF private employers as well as of
those acting under governmental super
vision, that it is not worth while to make
a great fuss about principle so well es-
lished. 1t is worthy of notice principal.
ly. as we said at the outset, because it
illustrates again the exceeding alertness
and carefulness osSIl the agencies of the
law in asserting and protecting the
rights Of labor individually and col
lectively.-Pioneer Press.