The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-05-04
THE STRIKE QUESTION.


can ticket since 1885!
THE STRIKE QUESTION.
Legally and theoretically any cm.
ploycr whether a corporation or in
dividual has the right to pay such
wages as he seems fit, and to hire
labor at the lowest possible price. On
The other hand, no man need to give
bis labor forany price, unless It. Suits
him to do so.
This is. the general law; like all laws
there are notifications. There is al
moral right, an equitable right, bc-
tween employer and employee. which
while intangible to statute, is no less
an actual right us opposed to wrng.
1t is that right which is expressed in
the golden rule, which, however i'm
possible to put in statutory form, is
as binding on President Hill us it is
to the poorest section hand.
There is no fact more certain in
the minds of the public than that
many corporation and individual en-
ploycrs of large numbers Of hired la
borcrs, do Systematically, screw down
wages to the lowest possible point
without reference to the needs of
their employees or the necessities Of
their own business, simply because
these employees will stand reduction
rather than lose their places. or In
other words will stand semi-starva
tion rather than face actual and COM
plctc want. These employers do this
inhuman work, simply because the
workers are compelled by necessity
to stand it, and because the employ
crs pocket the saving In wages. 1t
needs no argument either to prove
this fact or yet to prove its wrong.
| II is this eXcrtion Of the power of
men with money and financial and
political influence, or the belief that
it is cXcrtcd, that is the cause of the
denominations of labor to defend it.
self by strikes. 1t is meeting the
power Of capital with the power of un.
ited>numhcrs; one evil against anoth.
or evil, two wrongs to make right.
AS Il matter of self-dcfcnce, the la.
borer has right to union, and as q
union to strike. AS, when he works
for his. employer, his influence with
his friends was used for the employ.
cr's benefit and profit, and as that
was Il part of the returns made fol
the wages received, he has right to
ask his friends to withdraw their pat.
ronagc and custom, and he has Il right
to ask his friends not to take the
place vacated. Under the present
system, under the present laws, no
other remedies arc available. 1t is
simply fight between labor and cap.
ital power against power, evil against
evil, wrong against wrong, aud these
can never make right.
We believe, that no body of labor.
crs would ever strike IL they we're
convinced that they were being dealt
with as literally as their employers
could afford. We believe but few en-
ploycrs would dare face the public
exposure of the fact that they were
deliberately cutting wages and op-
pressing labor without good reason.
But how will the labOrer be con,i inc
ed, how will the Oppressor be shown
up?
There is a third party, the general
public, which is an innocent sufferer,
which as it now stands has no say in
these matters at all, but can only let
their business stand, while the war;
ring wrongs attempt to make Il right.
The striker and the employer can
never agree: it is conquer and be con-
quercd, victory aud capitalization, not
agreement. Both sides are prejudic-
cd'from interested motives, perhaps
both are some wrong, perhaps both
are some right. 1t seems to us that
the general public, whose only inter-
est is that labor and capital agree,
should not only be arbitrator, but
should compel arbitration.
We believe that in the time to
come when capital and labor cannot
ag:cc. that they will be compelled to
submit their differences to courts of
arbitration regularly appointed by
law, aud that the decisions of such
courts will be respected and obeyed as
much as the decisions of any of our
other courts Of law and equity.