The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-07-04
THE KEY NOTE.
Duty Of the Government and the Rights
OF Citizens.


Mr.. &c. S. Conway, Of the great Kim
ball factories, OF Chicago, passed
through our city on the steamship Col
umbia en- route to California yesterday.
and the following interview was had
with him in regard to the labor troubles
of the country;
''What do you think will be the out
come of the present struggle between
capital and labor, Mr. Conway?r
ITO begin with. do not consider II Is
question of struggle between capital
and labor at ALL and am not satisfied
with the view taken of the situation by
cur statesmen. The facts are. 1t is labor
versus labor, and the question to be de-
termined is, whether or not an Araeri-
car laborer is entitled to the protection
Of the law"
I'm whet manner would you pro-
tect labor?"
answering your question, would
say; First, 1t is every mans privilege
whether a member Of union or not. to
quit his job and seek employment else
where or remain idle, and It is equally
the privilege of the unemployed to at
once take the place vacated, and the
latter. as an American citizen, is. in my
judgment entitled both morally and le-
gally to be protected by the law .and
to be allowed to pursue mis- work un-
molested, and whenever interfered with
1t becomes the duty Of the federal gov
ernment to protect him, II It requires
the whole federal army to do so. In the
performance of his daily toll, and until
the situation is viewed in this light we
will have social revolution and audacity
instead of law and order'
what are your grounds for believing
that the federal government is called ON
to protect the citizens Of the different
states?"
"The protection Of American labor
and also Of capital is interstate, and IL
the federal government as such has an
obligation to perform that should be
considered sacred, It is the protection Of
its own citizens wherever found, in
their lives and property, and in the
peaceful enjoyment Of their rights and
liberties as guaranteed by the constitu-
tion. Why, the fundamental principle
Of our government is the protection OF
its citizens, and II this protection is left
TO states, one state might enforce the
law and enable its subjects to work or
remain idle, protecting them in each
condition 80 long as they remained
amenable to the law, while. az In the
present instance, a sister state might
be in a state Of anarchy and riot. thus
frustrating the ends Of justice and de-
priving the law-enforclng state Of ito
interstate relations. In short, hold It
is the imperative duty Of the American
government to protect each and every
one OF its citizens whether laborer or
capitalist, in the enjoyment Of life, lib
erty and property, to the fullest extent
under the law, and when man or q
set Of men, whether by force or intimi-
datlon. undertake to compel an Ameri-
can citizen to vacate his employment he
should be protected and the offender
vigorously and summarily punished.
Until this course is adopted by the fed
eral government we may rest assured
that confidence will not be restored
and that American labor will continue
to suffer, not only as II is today, but TO
a degree ten-fold worse"
"Then you hold that these labor trou-
bles are greater detriment to labor
taan to capital?"
Certainly. 1t Is a serious mistake
when the so-called friends OF labor im~
agine they are adding to the happiness
Of the laborer by allowing one portion
to be law breakers to the extent Of the
enforced idleness Of the other portion.
and the enforced withdrawal OF capital
from its legitimate channels OF trade
and enterprise"
what course could the federal gov
ernment, In your judgment, pursue
which would speedily and effectuaily
settle these labor troubles?"
my idea Is that the federal govern-
ment should guarantee the fullest pro-
lection 10 every citizen IN the discharge
Of his daily pursuits, and when q sub
ject is interfered with by local mobs
while engaged In the legitimate perform
ance OF his daily labor. that such Attend
ers should be taken into custody by the
federal government. and be promptly
and severely dealt with II this policy
were adopted and enforced by the fed
eral government and every American
citizen were assured he would receive
the full protection guaranteed him un-
der the constitution, all positions va
Gated for any cause could and would be
promptly filed and the great losses 10
labor and capital and the paralyzation
Of commerce and trade would be a
thing Of the past forever. II IL a para
dox 10 talk about this being govern
ment, II II viii not promptly and Wig
orously protect It's citizens at home or
abroad, whether they be laborers or
capitalists