The Portland daily press., 1899-10-05
CURRENT COMMENT.
AN ARMY OFFICER ON LABOR
UNIONS.
(Gunton's Magazins for October }

tGunton's Magazine for October.) /.
General Merriam, who took so promi.
nent part in suppressing the recen
miners riots in Idaho, is credited with
expressing this opinion on labor organiza.
tions:
"Since the trouble largely originates in
hostile organizations of men known az
labor unions, should suggest o law
making the formatios of such unions OF
kindred societies q orime."
II General Merriam really said this, 1t
lie in tolerable. 1t Is not so much quss-
ton of the importance Of any army
officers views on the subjsot. Nobody
cares for their opinions, since ON anything
outside military affairs they are more
than o. een worthless. The present case,
however, is significant because of the
fact that General Merriam is ne of the
type OF mon who are certain to figure
largely in the administration OF our new
possessions. where labor problems will be
constantly to the fore. Suppression of
riots is right and absolutely necessary.
but man holding such views on the
general subject of labor organization Ia
incapable of appreoiating the first princi-
ples1 of democratic society When we
have conquered the Philippines we shall
have military governor-generals appoint
ed to administer their affairs They will
have very largely free hand in matters
involving contract labor, rights of organ
ization, and industrial disputes. Under
an official charged with the medi@val
ideas on labor attributed to General Mer-
rlam, the opportunity of the laborers In
our new dependencies win be about on
the level with what they enjoyed undsr
Spanish domination. Either General
Merriam should repudiate this utterance,
or the government should keep him on
the home guard and OF active duty.
DANGERS OF TINKERING THE
CONSTITUTION.
(Boston Transcript.)
The Nebraska Republicans at their re-
cent state convention, without giving
any good reason, ap pended to their regu-
lar declarati on OF principles and policy
this rather reJnar kable recommendation:
"We CO mmend TO the thoughtful oonsid-
eration OF the Republican party of the
nation the proposition that a national
convention be called by two-thirds of the
States to revise the constitution of the
United State under provisions of article
OF the federal constitution. No recital
OF specific imperfeotions In the present
Instrument precedes this suggestion, and
no hint OF the changes that are thought
desirable Ia given. The idea seems to be
to take our national charter In hand, dis
sect 1t CLAUSE by clause, aud construct a
new one with the fragments and such
new material as the civic wisdom of the
present generation of statesmen might
be able to furnish. 1t would require
thirty States to agree upon new draft
and the approval OF thirty-four States to
ratify 1t. The present constitution is a
conservative instrument, but 1t has been
regarded as the product of great wisdom
10th at home and abroad In demolish-
Ing the present structure it would be-
easier to rob 1t of much of the wisdom
that now distinguishes 1t than 1t would
to add more TO 1t. To reopen the funda-
mental law of the land to the political
empricism Of the present day would be
a dangerous experiment.. 1t Is true we
have many problems 60 solve that had
not presented themselves when the origi-
nal constitution makers completed their
great task, but that very fact would seri-
ously coInplioats the work of revision,
We have now strong anchorage which
has stood the storms and swells OF q GEN.
tury aud more. What We should have
when the thousand and one interests Of
our country had been leg-rolled into a new
constitution Ia question better oalcu-
lated to arouse apprehension than TO JUS
tify hore.