Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-19

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chooo = Wpx<h III ~ 4xcs you ~
trtce You can buy 81 him Of 81 elss-
where Ton have the right 70 elect
whether you Will take It ~ not. You 20
to railway company and ask what
wages they pay, end they win tell you
You can either
ACCEPT THEIR TERMS
or so elsewhere. Now, you people who
have been engaged in running cars on
this line and have been receiving sixteen
cents an hour. or possibly two dollars a
day, have struck for twenty cents an
hour. Your combined effort cannot force
that railway company to pay the advance
you ask for. This railway company can
go out in this great nation of ours and
get men from any source 1t has been
shown that they have already been abe
to get men from other places-from Phil
adelphia and Chicago-to take your places.
Now. act with some wisdom; be pru-
dent; go home and
THINK AND REFLECT
over this matter and see if you have not
made a mistake. Appeal. always. to your
paid fair price, and consult and reason
with him in reference to it. Then if you
and he don't agree in your views, and
you can afford to do it, quit him. But
don't undertake to take his property out
of his hands by strikes; don't undertake
to destroy his property by the same
means, but you strike for some other bus
mess, when you are dissatisfied with the
field in which you are employed. That is
the way to do it.
while coming up on the train yesterday
afternoon from Parkersburg, l dictated to
my stenographer what 1 consider the
pith of this whole matter and I will read
it to you:
THE Court is here for the purpose Of
administering the law relating to this
case. 1t is not here for the purpose of
ADMINISTERING SYMPATHY
to either the Street Railway Company or
to those who have been employed by that
company, known now as strikers who
are insisting upon the company increas-
ing the wages for their services.
This is a free country. The constitu-
tion and laws of the country guarantee
to every citizen the right to engage in any
business that he is disposed to enter into.
No limitations or restrictions are imposed
upon the individual action of any citizen
in regard to this right. In a free coun-
try like ours competition in every depart
ment of life is open to every citizen. He
who by diligent and continuous effort ac-
quires not only competency, but for
tune, has a perfect right to be protected
in it. On the other hand, al vore of the
country who maintains and supports him
self and family by hts daily toll, has an
equal right to be protected. Labor can
not, by individual action, or by united &C.
ton, deprive the
EMPLOYER OF HIS RIGHT
to fix the price of labor any more than
the employer can compel the laborer to
work for him for a price less than the
laborer feels is remunerative.
The trouble in this case seems to be
that there is an effort upon the part of
the employees of this street railway COM
pany to force the employer. the railway
company, to advance their wages without
knowing whether such action upon their
part is justified in any respect whatever.
Every employer has a right to look into
the question as to what he can afford to
give for services rendered to him, the
matter to be determined and decided by
the revenues derived from the business
in which he is engaged No employe can
determine that, for the employer alone
is possessed of all the facts upon which
he must base his decision and action. In
this case it must be remembered by the
employee that the employer is just as much
interested in maintaining the operation of
the road and in obtaining revenues from
it as the empioye is interested in obtain
ing
JUST AND FAIR COMPENSATION
for his labor.
Suppose we reverse the situation upon
this occasion. and the employer determ mes
to reduce the wages of the employees in
the service of the company. The employ
er cannot compel his employe to serve for
reduced rate of wages. If he cannot,
is it right and proper that the employee,
who seeks to have his wages and COM
pensation increased, should take such
steps as to coerce the employer to comply
with his request without knowing whether
or not the employer can afford to do so?
Even if he could afford to do so, what
legal right-what just right-has an en-
ploye to undertake to coerce his employ
er? TIE employe has the privilege of re-
naming with his employer or quitting his
service. Why don't he elect to do that
which the laws of the country justify him
in doing? Whenever there is not a suf-
ficient remuneration upon the part of the
employer for the services of the employee,
let the employe leave the service of the
employer and seek other employment.
II understand from the public press
that this community is in sympathy with
what are now known as the strikers
Let me say now that this Is mistaken
sympathy upon their part. No community
can decide, as such. between the rights
of the employer and the employee They
cannot be familiar with the circumstances
that have influenced the employer to re-
fuse to accede to the demands of the en-
ploye on this occasion. This misguided
sympathy is often
A WRONGFUL SYMPATHY,
| and operates not only to the prejudice
of the parties for whom the sympathy is
expressed. but to the injury and detri-
| ment of the public at large. In this coun-
frty 10 r11n