The oasis., 1894-08-16

brought against the railroads that | they were unwilling to run mail trains unless Pullmans were attached, and | the oft-repeated declaration than the service is no part of the mail service, are used chiefly because the public do not understand that the rate paid to carry the mails is not sufficient to car ry them, except as supplementing the passenger and express service. The rates agreed upon between the rail- roads and government were based up- on the idea that the same motive pow CT would move passenger trains em- ployed in the movement of mail cars. The rate paid for the railway mail ser vice would not justify it's movement alone. A fast mail service is sustained by the government of the United States on some of the railroads in the country, but a rate commensurate with the value of that service Is paid. The Southern Pacific company entered into d contract with the government to carry the mails on it's regular trains. The profit derived from the Pullman service was an element of that con tract: but from the first the Southern Pacific Company stood ready to move all trains to which Pullman cars were not accustomed to be attached, and it stands ready to do so today. More over, it has been ready and is today willing to move all freight trains over the road if unobstructed.
 The suspension of the mails and the arrest of the commerce of the country is therefore chargeable directly to the | American Railway Union and as we have already shown. the American Railway Union has given the company no choice of a position. It has not put itself in theattitude of stating it's case and appealing to the sympathy of men. It has violently, forcibly and malici- ously assaulted the rights and inter- ests of all citizens of the United States in order to make them parties to quarrel in which they were not participates, and in the final adjust of which they will necesarilly have no voice.
 While writing l take the liberty of expressing personal view, which re- lates to the future relation between organized labor and capital. As a necessary preliminary, that relation ought to be determined by law. AS preliminary to the enactment of ap- propriate legislation, all organizations of labor should be required to incor- porate, to have common treasury, to be governed by board of trustees and each member of the organization should be regarded as stockholder. It could then be made responsible in the way of damages for unlawful and violent acts. It's officers, elected in times of tranquility, would be conser- vatiye, and they alone would have a right to guide it's action. It should have under the law a right to bring an action against an employer in the courts of the country to compel the payment of fair wages.
 The great coal strike in England was settled in this way. The commission, appointed by the government to arbi trate, decided against the coal mine owners. Lord Roseherv, now the dis tinguished leader of the government of England, was the arbitrator who brought in that verdict. He declared that there was rate of wages below which men could not live and that a right to live was inherent.
 When labororganizations were form ed in Germany for the purpose of con- serving the rate of wages, of creating