The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-20
THE RIGHTS OF ORGANIZED LABOR.

The New York court of appeals has re-
fore IL for very long time. and which tn
wolves one Of the most important gues-
tons ever determined by that court. AZ 70
the rights OF labor organizations and how
far they can be permitted to 80 In carry
ing out the objects for which they were
organized
Seven years ago a man named curran
brought an action against a local assem-
bly, OF the Knights OF Labor In one OF the
interior New York cities, claiming that he
had been the victim Of q conspiracy TO
prevent him from obtaining employment
On the trial IL was shown that curran had
been ordered by the local assembly TO Join
the Knights of Labor. and on his refusal
the assembly ordered his employer TO dis
charge him The assembly had contract
with an employers association that none
but members Of the order should be en-
ploysd except for a brief period. Curran
sought work elsewhere. but failed TO Sc
cure IL on account of the existence Of this
contract and his refusal TO join the
knights. He then brought suit against
the local assembly on this conspiracy
charge. and the case has been finally
reached and decided by the appellate
court.
That court, In reviewing the case. held
that the contract between the employers
association and the assembly was not
only invalid. but that II WAS unlawful and
contrary 10 the spirit Of the American
government, and that IL would tend TO
'1mpoverish and crush citizen for no
reason connected In the slightest degree
with the advancement or the maintenance
OF the rate OF wages" In the decision the
court further said that IL is TO the highest
interest Of every citizen that the constitu-
tional right 10 freely pursue a lawful vo-
cation and enjoy the fruits OF his iabors
shall be maintained. and that IL the con-
tention of the defense were allowed it
would lead TO "compuls!on or lettering OF
the Individual. glaringly at variance with
THAI freedom in the pursuit Of happiness
which Is guaranteed to all by the funda-
mental law OF the land"
1t is hardly likely that the decision will
commend itself TO the labor unions, for
they are too much inclined 10 the belief
that one set OF laws should apply 10 one
group OF citizens and another 10 another
group. The decision In substance amounts
simply to this, that a monopoly Is rncon-
siitutlonal: that TO set OF men can AFRO
gate 10 themselves the sole right to sup
ply the market with the commodity labor
any mere than they could so DO with any
other commodity. and that 8 labor trust
IS as distinctively opposed to the spirit Of
our laws and institutions as Is any other
trust.
There is all IN the point Of view. All
members OF every trade union can readily
see that when the sugar trust arbitrarily
fixes the price OF sugar. and brushes out
every competitor who undertakes 10 do
business. that the sugar trust is an evil
thing which should be regulated or abol-
ished by statute. And yet. In many in
stances. labor unions proceed TO do the
same thing BY precisely the same methods
as does the trust In question. The de-
cision In New York establishes a prece-
dent which viii doubtless be followed by
courts In other states; but II should be fol-
lowed as fully and lnexoTably in It's appli-
cation TO trusts created by corporate greed