Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1895-09-24
JOHNSON & LAWSON 8

81. IS. 15acts. extra for postage
outside the county. =@ -
...s.= OFFICE IN G1LGER BLOCK. @
TUESDAY, SEPT. oath, 1895.
II Discussion Of the Justice DIE
the 7,unssrcssi'.s Striker.
The Litchfield Independent
finds fault with us for saying a
good word for our strikers: as
follows:
.'Some Of the Willmar strikers
in the Great Northern tieup iast
spring were found guilty of inter
fering with the mails, at the U.
S. court at Minneapolis last week.
The local papers at Willmar rush
to the defense of the accused,
and denounce the verdict. The
Tribune uses this language:
Possibly these our good citi
zens violated some technical law
as construed by a dogmatic court:
Morally, and by the principles OF
justice and equity, they were jus;
tilted in all they did. = Dur
ing the excitement, and fighting
as the men and their sympathiz.
ers honestly thought they did,
for their right to living wages,
what was easier than that some
should transgress some techni.
cal rule
''Now the laborer in his inner.
ent right to the just fruits Of his
toll has our earnest sympathy
and aid, but we do deplore seeing
the workingmen throwawayt their
chances of lettering their condi.
ton, which they do every time
they violate the law by interior
ing with the property and rights
of others. This course never
= succeeds. AS long as our laws
and industrial system are as a,
present, q corporation or capita
list has the same right as any in
dividual to hold and use property,
One can no more justify rail
road hand in interfering with the
property of a railway than one
can a printer who quits work be-
cause he doesn't get what he con
siders his just wages, or a hirec
man on the farm. Suppose the
printers on the Willmar. Tribune
should quit work all at once, with
out notice, and not only that ,bu1
should forcibly prevent others
that the proprietor might EN-
ploy from taking their places
and still further, forcibly ente1
the printing office and stop thu
presses and prevent the issuing
of the paper. Can anyone doub
that the editor would consider
his rights trampled on? In tht
. case of the farm hand, would h
be justified after quitting work IL
preventing the farmer from gath
ering his crops by forcibiy I'm
hitching his horses and driving
them back to the barn every tim
the farmer attached them to tn
binder, or by following him vi
and stopping his machine b.
thrusting sticks into the gearing
We think that in either case Their
would be some law invoked, an,
a great deal of leinency would NO
be used in dealing with the Gu
prits. r.. g.. =. =
1.-THE cases are exactly parable!
The railroad corporation is allow
ed by. law to run its trains, pa
such wages as may be agree
upon between itand its employs
and if one man quits work t
hire some one else to take hi
place if it can do SO. 1t has tn
. the right to make up it's trai
crews from A. r. u. men. nor
union men, Cinnamon or Hotter
tots, as tsees. ST, and to pay the1
five dollars per day Or tive cents
as may be agreed upon by th
parties. We say these things al
allowed by the laws as the
! stand at present. We do not So
that this. ind ustrial ystam is th
best that can be devised, and "
freely admit that very often .th
laborer does not get his just sha1
of paysfor his work. Corporal
greed and power often oppresse
the workingnen and deals III
Justly with him G poration
often transgress the law then
selves, but this gives no excus
for ind mails to retaliate ia I'll
same manner iolators Of ii
law should be punis he'd Whethe
they are memb ers Of the corpo
alton Or not, and it is only by u
hold the law that the perpet
lily Of our g0Yern mentS can be q
n sured
81 here as q way to get at thes
& SssI grievances, but it is1 not in u
line of action TAX by railroa
strik ers Bhe they Interfere vii
kIsn fYnfeirIas 1,ff Trains I, Ss