Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-12-06
ARE THEY ABOVE LAW ?
ARlSTOCRATIC VlOLATORS OF THE
STATUTES ACT THAT WAY.
In the Interests of Property, Not for the
Miners Sake, the Broadcloth Anar-
chists of Pennsylvania Are Severely
Rebuked by a Corporation Organ.

| From the Philadelphia Times.
The question that is now very gener-
ally agitated in the coal mining regions
OF the state, is whether company stores
at which employees in mining operations
are compelled to deal at extortionate
prices for the necessaries of life, are
above the law. 1t is a very grave ques-
tion, and it indicates an unwholesome
condition of affairs when there is cause
for such agitation.
The Legislature of this state has enact
ed two laws, each of which should be
scrupulously obeyed by employers to
whom 1t applies. One requires that the
wages OF all employees in certain chan
nels of industry shall be paid semi
monthly and in money, and another
prohibits such employers from owning
company or partnership stores, or being
interested in them directly or indirectly,
and thus compel employees, under fear
| of dismissal, to deal at such stores and
pay excessive prices for most of the ar
ticles they consume.
These laws are as plain as the English
language can make them, and being the
law they should be obeyed. 1t should
not be necessary for any person to en-
force obedience to these laws by legal
process, as employers have vastly more
interest in maintaining respect for the
laws than have those whom they en-
ploy.
1t is notorious fact that both of
these laws are violated, sometimes open
ly and sometimes by indirecton, in both
the anthracite and btuminous mining
regions Of the state. In some instances
the employees are not permitted to save
dollar, and many of them are kept
constantly in debt at stores where they
are compelled to expend their money if
they would assure continued employ
ment. There is not coal miner in
Pennsylvania, however ignorant of our
language, our general laws and our in
stitutions, who does not know that the
two laws we have referred to are upon
our statute books, and should be obeyed
by those to whom they have right to
look for high example.
Every instance of violation OF these
laws by employers thus teaches to the
employees disrespect for law, and there
have been few violent outbreaks result
ing from labor strikes, which have not
been inspired chiefly by the conscious
| ness on the part of the strikers that they
cannot be more lawlcSs than are those
who employ them. If employers do not
respect the law, they must not complain
II their less intelligent employees, who
have much less responsibility as citi-
| zens, and who, as a rule, have no prop
erty to protect, resort to violence and
lawlessness when they unite to redress
their real or imaginary wrongs.
The best way to assure law and order
in the mining regions is for the employ
ers OF the miners to prove to the public
that they do not assume to be above the
law They should teach, not only by
respect bnt by uniform and faithful ex-
ample, that the safety of all, high and
low, rich and poor, is in maintaining
the majesty of the law, under all cir
cumstances; but they cannot teach obe-
dience to the law to their employees
when they assume tn at they are above
the law, and make thems elves conspicu-
GUS examples of its violation. No man
in Pennsylvania, however potent in
public or private life, can assume to be
above the law, and eSpec tally should the
employers of the miners teach respect
for the law by illustrating their entire
obedience to its mandates
1t is natural to inquire why these laws
are not enforced. The laws are so plain
that none can misunderstood them, and
the penalties for their violation are dis
| tinctly defined, but these laws fail in en-
| forcement because those most interested
are not in position to attempt to punish
| the violation of the law with impunity.
| The poor miner in most instances feels
that he must submit to any measure of
oppression rather than bring his en-
ployer to the bar of justice. If he at
tempted to do so, he would not only be
dismissed, but would likely be black
listed and thus be precluded from obtain
ing employment elsewhere. These laws
wisely designed to afford protection to
the workingmen of the state, are not
enforced because there are none who
can attempt their enforcement with
| safety to themselves.
The Wilkesbarre Record, in discussing
| this question, confesSes that these laws
are not enforced, and that they cannot
| be enforced until amended. 1t suggests
that "if the law were amended so as to
require county detectives or constables
to return to the court violators of the
anti-company stores law, pressure would
speedily be brought upon such officers
to do their duty in the premises If they
failed to act voluntarily"
Such an amendment of the company
stores law seems to be necessity, and