The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-11
WORKING WY MID Older

T.
In the resolutions Of the Central Labor
Unions of New York This one is found:
! Resolved. That if the United States
| oHlcials arrest Eugene Dchs. as being
! responsible for this trouble. II is the
| duty of every WOrkingman I'm the United
! states 70 stop work at once and remain
| IDLE until ne is released"
! The workingmen of the United States
/ have an unquestioned and unquesuonable
/ right TO DO this If they choose. ana they
need not wait for the arrest Of Debs TO
10 IT, They may do II at any time with
/ out any cause whatever and no one
| will disturb them. All that will be re-
| quired Of them is that they refrain from
all acts of laWlessness when they stop
/ work and interfere I'm 10 way whatever
| with ether men whom their old employers
! may take into service. Upon these CON
/ diuons the whole United States recog-
nize the right of the workingmen to quit
work when they please.
But how totally unreasonable is the
idea Of duty alvancedt Why should
men who have employment that salts
iies them and enables them 10 perform
the duty Of supporting their families
comfortably. turn themselves ont into
the street and bring their families TO
want because a man with whom they
have no connection or relations Of any
sort gets himself into a scrape, and is
called on to give an account Of his ac-
tions in breaking the law before a COURT
They would cause themselves and many
others immense suffering and would not
affect the outcome of Deb's case I'm the
smallest particle.
But they would do this. They would
create in the public mind a belief that
they were opposed to a rule Of law. and
sympathized with and were ready to abct
disturbers Of the peace and condi-
ton of anarchy. If Debs has violated
the law of the land it is right that he
should be arraisncd before the tribunals
of the country and punished for his
criminal acts If he has not violated the
laws he Will show the courts upon his
arrest that such is the case. and he Will
be discharged from all further prosecu-
ton. Instead. therefore, Of the Central
Labor Unions telling the world that
laboring men should quit work when
Debs is arrested. II should tel the world
that all labOring men viii take part
in Furnishing Debs if lie has violated the
law. The laboring men are as deeply in
ierested in requiring all men to obey
the laws as any other part of the popu-
lation. An OF us viii be involved in one
common ruin-cmployer and employee
together-if all men are not compelled
TO submit implicitly to whatever the
law commands.
And in this connection we wish TO say
that it was with the greatest regret we
have seen the statements of late that
the labor unions are opposed TO their
members being part OF our volunteer
military companies. This has a stroua
appearance of their understanding that
a division exists i'm society. on one side
of which stands the military to compel /
obedience to the law, and on the other /
side OF which stand the labOring unions /
TO disobey and defy the law. We be-
lieve that there is a good deal Of this
Idea in the labor unions OF Chicago
New York and other northern cities.
bat we DO not believe that there is any
such idea in the minds of the working
men in Richmond They are as good
'itizens as our city has, and as law
abiding, and they should not permit IN
heir rules and regulations anything I'm
he nature of restrictions of this sort
N their members. Let the laborers join
he military II they choose and take
art In preserving that order which is
ust as necessary. indeed, more neces-
airy, TO the laborng man than it is 10
he capitalist