The record-union., 1898-10-02
THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE.
Why Should This Large Glass Of
Voters be Disfranchised.
(From Oroville Register.)

fTom Orovllle RegiSter)
The most amusing feature, thus far,
OF the pending political campaign is the
indignation expressed in certain quar-
ters over the organization of political
clubs by railroad employees. It seems
that in the opinion of a certain school
of politicians, all citizens are free to
form clubs, and to work for the sue
cess of their favorite candidates at the
coming election, except those who earn
their own living as railroad conductors,
and brakemen, and switchmen, and
workmen at railroad depots. It would
be interesting to discover how this
large class of voters came to be dis
franchised.
No one has proposed to deprive farm
ers and shippers of the right to organ
ize to compel a reduction of freight
rates by the railroad That class of
citizens are represented in the Rail-
road Commission by H. NJ Larue, who
is himself a farmer and shipper, and
whose zeal for low freight rates is
stimulated by personal interest. No
one objected to Mr.. Larue's nomina-
ton on the ground that the reforms
would put money in his pocket as
ain-grower. Why should not the
rule work both ways, and if the inter-
est of shippers is to be- guarded by the
N a Ch or
the commission, should not the inter-
est of carriers, whose living depends
on the maintenance of paying rates,
be looked after by some one, some
where?
The sufferers by the success Of the
anti-railroad usade would be the
men who draw wages from the COM
pany. The wages fund is the only item
in the company's disbursements which
is compressible. The price of MATER
falls consumed by railroads-fuel, steel,
machinery, ties, oil and wastes reg
ulated by supply and demand in the
open market, and cannot be lowered
even to the extent of fraction of a
cent by appeals to public opinion, or
resolutions adopted by Railroad Com
missioners. Nor can any dfminution
be effected in the fixed charges payable
by railroads, in the shape of interest
on bonds. or rent on leases, to comply
with the requirements Of Commission
ers. The companies must pay the
covenanted interest on their obliga-
tions, whether their income from busi-
ness be large or small. The only place
where they can cut down their outlay
is in the pay Of their men. Is it not
natural that these men should consid-
er whether their interest does not in
vite them to organize, On their side,
lied to cheaper grain freights at the
cost of the railroad operative?
The Southern Pacific, and the other
railroad companies. employ twenty
State. Up to this time, no attempt
has been made by the companies to in
fuence these mems votes. They have
divided on election day, between the
political parties of their choice, with
out a word of interference by their
employers. But if II. M. Larue, on
behalf of grain shippers, should seri-
ously insist on scrimping the wages
OF railroad operatives in order to add
two or three cents per GENITAL to the
market value which their grain COM
mands on the seabe,ard, the operatives
would be strangely Indifferent to their
own welfare and to the we'll being OF
their families if they neglected the
duty of self defense.
This is not a question of politics, but
of bread. Railroad Commissioners, ex-
hausting their time in fools errands tc
find what fish-p1ates cost twenty years
ago, and how many of them go to g
mile, may be animated by a notion
that their efforts will be crowned by
office hereafter; but the brakeman OF
switchnan VINO is expected to pay two
or three cents out of each dollar he
earns to virldicate the power of the
commission to control freights anC
fares has mo compensating advantage
in prospect, and it is no wonder he
should form uclubs to ascertain whether
it is fair he should be selected to pay
so largera proportion of the cost Of the
proposed reforms.
Indeed, he owes it to himself to dt
so. No class of the community ca1
affor to hold its livelihood at the mer.
Gy of the other classes. If it does so
fft is certain to be despoiled. It is {
msltter of comparative Indifference t,
tile grain-grower of Yolo what wage!
are paid to the trainmen Of Los An
s,eles; if the latter allows his wages
ito be regulated by the man from Yolo
who wants low freights on hrs wheat
he will only have himself to blam,
when he finds he can't pay hts groc
cry bill. Everybody in this worlt
nshould look out for himself. The grea
lsbody Of railroad laborers have thus fal
Iiallowed politicians and grangers to ad
just the pay of their labor, under thu
pretense Of curbing cooperative ra
pacity; it is time they took hand II