Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1894-11-14
UNIONS NOT ILLEGAL.
ATTORNEY GENERAL oLNEY GIVES AN
OPINION


curing Proper Recognition of Rights
From Organized Capital.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 9.-The contro-
versy between the receivers of the
Reading Railroad company and such
employees as are members of the Broth
erhood of Railway Trainmen, has
prompted an expression of opinion
from Attorney General Olney in the
form of a letter to Judge Dallas of the
United States circuit court, before
whom the cass. is pending. The diff
Guilty between the two organizations
reached a crisis on Aug. 16 when GEN
eral Superintendent Sweigard sum
moned before him II employees and no.
titled them that they should abandon
the brotherhood as condition Of re-
tanning their places with the railroad
company Vigorous protests We're
made against this alternative and the
brotherhood urged the receivers to
withdraw it, but III answer the receiv-
ers, on Sept. Il, wrote:
The policy OF this company is Wei
known to be that it viii not consent
that persons III its service shall owe
allegiance to osAer O gani2ations which
may make claims Uron them which are
incompatible with th II duties to their
employers. This position was taken
adviscdly and we have no intention OF
departing from it. >"
Attorney General Olney's letter is an
exhaustive discussion of the questions
presented, and he reviews the various
problems and the consistent solutions
to be applied in every aspect.
In substance he holds that labor I'M
organized is practically powerless, that
in combinations such as this lies the
only safeguard for the worl1ingman in
his dealings with organized capital;
and that his right to belong to such
union-beneflcial in intent and purpose
is legal right which he cannot be
deprived of.
After giving his reasons for writing
the letter, which was by express leave
of the court, Attorney General Olney
says:
The material facts may be briefly
stated, The petitioners are members
of the Brotherhood Of Railway Train
men. Some of them have been mem
bers for seven CT eight years, have
each year paid annual dues and assess
ments which now amount to consid-
cradle sum, and by continuing their
membership viii, in case of death or
permanent disability, become entitled
by themselves or their representatives
to large pecuniary payments from the
funds of the brotherhood. On the
other hand, by ceasing to be members
they lose all benefit from the dues and |
assessments already paid and forfeit all |
claims upon the brotherhood treasury. |
If the receivers are right and their |
rule is to prevail, that membership of |
the brotherhood by and Of itself in
capacitates for service on the Reading |
road, it is respectfully submitted that
the receivers are wrong and that the |
action proposed by them ought not to
be sanctioned by the court.
The court, it is admitted, ought not |
and can not lay down any such rule on
the ground that until either the pur-
poses and objects Of the brotherhood,
or the means by which they are to |
be attained, are shown to be Illegal
Mr. Olney then quotes the aims and |
purposes of the Brotherhood of Rail-
way Trainmen and continues:
Certainly these objects must be re-
garded as laudable in the highest de-
gree and as deserving the appreciation
and support of every good citizen
U1Loco QUO 1,0J oaJ 7,-ac+5oa1I1,
as those for which the working people /
to incorporate themselves by act of
congress, the statutory description of
such object being for the purpose of |
aiding its members to become more
skillful and efficient workers, the pro- t
motion of their general intelligence,
the elevation Of their character, thoj
regulation of their wages and their
hours and conditions of labor, the pro-
lection of their individual rights in the
prosecution of their trade or trades, the
faising OF funds for the beneftof death,
disabled or unemployed members, or
the families of deceased members, or
for such other object or objects for
which working people may lawfully
combine, having i'll view their mutual
protection or benefit"
MIR. Olney then refers to the strike
provision i'll the brotherhood bylaws,
and after showing that strikes are not
unlawful, says:
1t should be remembered in the first
place that the risks Of strike are not
bbviated by excluding the members of
the brotherhood from the receivers
service. Men, deeming themselves
aggrieved and seeking relief or redress,
though not associated In any formal
way or for any general purposes, may
easily unite for the single purpose of a
strike. In that view the brotherhood
constitution and rules may well be re-
garded Us operating i'll restraint of
strikes. By compelling the question of
strike or no strike to be acted upon af-
frmatiYely by four er hye different and
independent tribunals, they certainly
tend to prohibit strike that is rash or
reckless or for other than weighty
cause.
i In conclusion Mr.. Olney recommends
arbitration as the best mode Of settling
differences between capital and labor.
Colorado, Wyoming and Great Northern.
I DENVER, Nov. 12The Colorado,
wyoming and Great Northern Railway
company has been incorporated by w.
T. Carpenter, I L. Sanford, G. F. Lass,
M. o. Whitehead and J. P. Nesbitt.
The proposed route is from Grand juno
ton through Garfield county, and up
the Green river to Green River City, on
the Union Pacific 2ailroad in Wyoming.
Branches viii be b04t to Provo City,
Utah and Meeker.
Submarine Torpedo Boat.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12.-The naval
board bureau chiefs, after Iong eonsid-
esFatien ct the su9ieet, has decided to
recommend to Secretary Herbert the
construction Of a submarine torpedo
boat of the Holland type. An appro-
priation Of $500, 600 IS available for the