Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-12-24


or other persons having dealings with
him, then the boycott becomes illegal.
"There is great good in labor Or
CARNATIONS. In their efforts to raise
wages they should receive the support
of all. But when they seek to enforce
their claims by trampling on vested
or established rights, then they are
unlawful and deserve to fail.
"Every man has the right to employ
whomsoever he desires. So every
man has the right to seek and accept
employment from whomsoever he
wants to work for. No one has
any right to say to him that he shall
not seek or accept employment from
any man. When unions infringe on
the vested rights of employers or 9TH
or laborers not members of the union,
such an agreement is unlawful and a
conspiracy.
"The legal status of the boycott is
plain. So long as the unions confne
their agreement to their own members,
they r within the law, but when
they dictate to others; when they say
to others: IF you buy from the man
we are boycotting we will not buy
from you,' then they infringe on the
vested rights. The merchant who is
not the subject of the boycott has the
right to the society and patronage of
all men, uncontrolled by threats. The
whole question of the boycott is sum-
med up in the maxim of the law: sic
utere, tuo ut ute alienum non laedas'-
$50 exercise your own rights as not to
injure those of Others And we see
that this maxim is bottomed by that
other law announced by the Master of
good morals: Whatsoever ye would
that men should do unto you, do ye
even so unto them.'
PEACEFUL STRIKES ARE LEGAL.
"Men have the right to strike. As
they have the right to work when and
for whom they desire, 30 they have
the right to quit whenever they see
fit, If not bound by contract. But too
frequently the labor unions do not
stop there. Moral suasion is entirely
legal. Strikers can seek to persuade
by peaceful means other men from
taking their places, but when they use
violence or threats, or interfere with
property, then they are not within the
law, and even the most rabid laboring
man will admit that this is true with
reference to interference with prop
erty.
"But the unions say they cannot
make their strike a success If they do
not resort to the boycott. That is not
true. A peaceful strike is a powerful
weapon when guided by sense and
reason. But men aetuated by motives
inspired by the infammatory utter
ances of roaring orators are not cap
able of measuring the justice of their
claims. II it is true that the strike
cannot succeed without the boycott,
accompanied by threats of violence,
then it does not deserve success, for
nc cause relying upon a violation of
law or infringement of rights can lay
any claim to justice.
SIT is difficult for Us to recognize
individual rights and 9 that the pro-
lection of III own rights depends up
on our seeing that the rights of others
are protected. He who sees all the
good or bad in the combination of
either labor or capital does not look
at social conditions Alright. There is
much good and some bad in both. All
are selfish. 1t is never safe to let any
set of men determine what are their
rights or decide what means shall be
employed to enforce them. There
must be an arbiter and in this country
this arbiter is the law, which deter
mines rights and redresses wrongs.
"We live under a government of
law and not of men. The fundamental
principle OF Dur government Is that all
men are equal before the law. Its
Fproudest boast of the law is that, like
God, it is nc respecter of persons. No
one is SO high as to be above its pow
er; no one so low az to be beneath its
protection. Our institutions are safe
so long as the rights of all r pro-
tected.
WHENCE SAFETY MUST COME.
"But if these clashing combinations
are not checked, the safety and well
fare of the republic will be endanger-
ed. We cannot look to either labor or
capital for safety, but to the great
mass of conservative citizens not con-
nected with or interested in either,
whose only interest is that the su-
premacy of the law is maintained.
Neither the arrogance of the trusts
nor the prejudices of labor al be
safely appealed to. Our only safe ap-
peal must be to the great majority of
our people who are in favor of giving
to the rich man the right to enjoy the
wealth that he has earned and to the
poor man the opportunity to earn
wealth for himself.
SIT is popular and right to denounce
trusts. 1t is popular because they have
few votes. It is right to denounce the
unlawful combinations of labor, but it
is not popular, because they have
many votes.
"Our institutions are worth saving.
In this land and In this land alone can
the humbiest boy become president of
the republic. Here the poor man of
to-day is the rich man of tomorrow.
Our government is founded upon the
doctrine of special privileges to none
and equal rights to all. 1t is not the
governments duty to support anyone.
1t il the right of all to have an oppor-
tunity to support himself and it is his
duty to support the government.
Advertised Letters.
List Of letters remaining in the Post
Office at Mexico, No., for the week
ending December %, 1895, which If not
called for in thirty days win be sent to
the Dead Letter Office at Washington.
Persons calling for letters In this list
win please say advertised"
@. W. Anderson, Mrs. Matte Bolin-
ger, J.. Boeiand, A. E. Berry, VIM.
Cement, Mrs. s. Crews, E. 7. Eobyns,