The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-08-27


strikes and iuiunctions which are
now prevailing through hout the country
has this to say:
So long aS society accepts and tolerates
the strike as method of settling indus
trial disputes society should insist on
fair and equa. treatment for both par
should not he allowed to take unfair ad
vantage of the other, nor should the
power of governments be exercised to
the benefit of one party and the detri
meut of the other. 1t is the duty of the
government to see that law is preserved
and that rights ale not iufriuged. But
its attitude toward the contending par
ties should be one of strict neutrality.
Time was when the workingmen who
did not like the terms of employment
stipulated by one employer could leave
and seek employment with any number
of other persons engaged in a similar
line of business, and thus better his lot.
But conditions are different to-day.
The employer in most cases represents
vast aggregation of capital, with which
the individual workman cannot cope
successfully. Whether he likes it or not.
the fact remaing that under present con-
ditions the laborer has little hope of bet
tering himself, so far as wages and
hours are concerned, except through
combination with his fellow workmen.
One individual by withholding his labor
from the market-that is, refusing to
work-could accomplish nothing. A
union Of workingmen, by Withholding
their collective labor from the market.
may force the employer to grant the con-
cesslOns asked for. OF course the sue
cess of these efforts depends on the abil-
ity to control to considerable degree
all the labor in a particular line that is
put on the market. The only way this
labor can be controlled is by its being
organized into union. If the laborers
conducting strike for higher wages,
say, can by peaceable means, induce
other laborers in the same line to asso-
ciate with them, clearly they should
have the right to do so. The govern
ment in no way should hinder them in
so doing, so long as they try only peace
able means of persuasion, else it serious
ly handcaps one of the parties to the
strike.
The employer of course has the right
to hire men where he can. 1t is not
fair that these men, when hired,
should be driven away by violence on
the part of the strikers or anybody else.
The government should punish the per
petrators of such violence as it would
punish persons committing any other
like Offense against the law. 1t is en-
tirely within the right of the employer,
too, for him to forbid entrance upon his
premises by strikers who would persuade
his workingmen to quit.
But it also ought to be recognized as
entirely competent for strikers to at
tempt to induce the laborers at work to
cease work and associate with tho union.
If the strikers can accomplish this oh
Ject by peaceable persuasion and appeals
to reason they should be allowed to do
50 without any interference whatever
from the government. In England.
where labor organizations have passe d
beyond the stage of violence, this right
Is recognized by the government, anC
''plcketing," as it is called, is sanctioned
That is, how the union, when fightins
an employer, is allowed to station .'pick
cts just outside his premises and tr,
to induce the workmen as they 90 {,
and from work to join the strikers.
. The attempt of employers to haras
the strikers with injunctions from tn
courts in carrying on such a campaipr
Is an attempt to use the government il
the interest of one side as against tn
: other. The injunction ought not to b
brought into the matter at all. Its ten
} dency is to take the administration q
/ law from the executive branch of gov
f ernment, where it belongs, and lodge
/ with the judiciary, If a striker ha
: committed an offense he should be Al
/ rested and punished. If there is dan
ger that an offense will be committed
Is the duty of the administrators of tn
law to be on hand to stop the perpetra
tor and arrest him on the spot. But t
enJoin striker who has committed n
offense from committing offense is t
put the brand of criminality upon hir
without warrant, and thus place him a
disadvantage with his opponent, whe
the government should remain entirel
l neutral.