The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-08-09
The Courts and Arbitration.

The Courts and Arbitration.
There is considerable discussion OF
the subject of compulsory arbitration
now going on in the press of the
country, and, of course, it is objected
to as an impracticable and as an In
vasion of personal liberty. Personal
liberty is already invaded by law on
one side of this struggle. The recent
blanket injunctions of the Federal
courts, and the constitution of the
law practically invokes the power OF
the Government against strickland
makes the men who organize for a
strike, though no act Of violence is
committed, liable to serve punish
ment of the Federal Government. 1t
is right for the perpetrators and in
vigorators of violence to be punished.
Strikes should be restrained from
Interfering with men who are willing
to work and order should be main
tanned. Unless we misunderstood
the meaning of the recent acts OF the
Federal courts they go much farther
than this and make the leaders OF
labor unions and the men who strike
guilty of crimes if their refusal to
work interfercs with the interstate
commerce and the transportation OF
the mails, though they abstain from
violence and interference with those
who are willing to work. The result
is a practical denial of the right OF
labor to organize and the right OF
men to work or not as they may
choose.
This is an invasion Of personal lib
erty as radical as compulsory arbi-
tration could possibly be. 1t affects
only one of the parties to the strug-
gle while compulsory arbitration
would apply alike to each. We do
not object to this invasion of the old
idea of personal liberty provided both
sides are treated alike. We hold
that railroad employees have no NOR
al right to strike and thus paralyze
business and injure thousands OF in
nocent people, even if no violence is
committed. Under the recent rulings
of the court it appears that they
have no legal right to strike. We
believe that is clearly within the pro-
vince of the Federal Government to
prohibit railroad atrikes altogether,
and in this respect she law and the
courts cannot go too far provided the
interests Of the employees are pro-
tected. 1t is manifestly unfair to
make it criminal to strike without
providing the wage Garner with le-
gal remedy for righting his wrongs
and securing justice.
If the law says to the brakeman or
the fireman, "you must work." it
must say with equal emphasis to the
railroad company, "you must employ
and you must pay just wages" Ii
the government is to take hand In
this struggle between capital and La
Dor it must deal out justice to each
side with impartiality. The Gov
eminent must necessarily interfere.
1t cannot afford to permit these
senseless struggles between elements
so essential to the commercial life of
the nation. A remedy must be pro-
vidcd for the settlement Of these
disputes.
If the law can settle disputes and
deal out justice in cases that affect
only the interests of two individuals,
why can not it provide q remedy for
settling disagraements in which the
entire nation is deeply interested?
If the law can deal out justice be-
tween man and man, why can it not
perform the same function in respect
to corporation and its employees?
We are not especially welded to a
compulsory arbitration law. Of
course such measures should be sur
rounded by safe guards that would
protect all interests concerned. There
should be a remedy and that remedy
is best which will most easily and
Justly accomplish the desired result.
World.