The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-14
THURSDAY. JUNE "A. 1900.
n,Is. THOMPSON AND THE LABOR
ENIONS

The speech of Mr. n. F. Thompson,a at
Huntsville, Ala. VIII cause a sensation
as is always caused by fierce and bitter
attack on any body Of men or principles
Few things in their time have caused more
bitterness and more difference of opinion
than the same labor union question that
appears to have recently dawned on the
Intelligence Of Mr.. Thompson as an I'M
portant factor in our national lie. lne
problem that Mr. Thompson seeks TO settle
by making killing justifiabe homicide,
when union man seeks to interfere with
non-unon man. is one whose cause and
whose cure lie far deeper than Mr. Thomp-
son has any idea of. and one whose ult-
mate solution Will be reached by no part
Of violence on one side or coercion on the
other. 1t is the old quest cn of struggles
between forces that have not yet come to
a clear sense of their mutual rights and
responsibilities.
Yet this question is one that has arisen
very recently under the phase OF labor
unions against capitalists. One hundred
and fifty years ago in England there Were
crafts and guilds and the manufacturing
was carried on in small llainlets in sin
gle houses. the employer and the employe
working side by side at the same loom,
eating the same food and living under the
same roof There Was no over-production,
because the market was SO limited that
each one knew what was needed, and no
more thought of exceeding That demand
than would a modern householder think
of buying food enough at one time TO
last his family for TWO years.
With the introduction of steam and the
marvellous Invention OF the power loom,
the small manufacturing household was
broken up and dispersed and in its place
grew up the enormous mill where men,
women and children worked for CORPORA
lions and employers, whip neither knew
Them nor cared for them. and whose only
object was 20 earn dividends, no matter
what The cost in blood, life and morals
of the employees might be- The factory
acts in England did away with many of the
abuses which had grown up under the
new industrial order of things, but modern
legislation is still in favor OF the rich cor
porat:on rather than in the interest of the
laborer. The laborer. when he first found
himself thrust from the cottage. where
his wants were known and MS needs sup
piled into the fierce competition of an open
market, where thousands of others stood
beside him clamoring to be hired, and ilav-
ing no assets except his hands and his
capability 10 toll was at a fearful disad-
vantage in dealing with the employer, and
the mere principle OF MISREPRESENTATION
drove laborcrs into unions for the pro-
tecton Of the weaker members and for
The ayowed purpose of coercins the en-
,1loyer into giving fair wages, reasonable
hours and otherwise treating the employe
as u person who had rights that could
be enforced. Il is a matter of common
history that a fierce cry went up from
the conservative element in England. who
saw IN labor unions only an organized
effort TO destroy the right Of the employer
10 contract freely with whom ne would
ana at what price he would.
Up to 1924. at which date the combina-
ton Laws were repealed, it was Illegal
for the laoorers 10 combine and agree to
refuse to work anti a certain price was
given them. To-day the principle is SC
well recognized that no man can be forced
70 work unless he wishes TO do 50, ana
it seems incredible 10 US that any different
principle should ever have existed There
arc numerous cases where labor union:
have been led into all sorts Of extrava
i;aaces and folly. No one can support the
contention OF some labor leaders thai the,
have the right OF force TO compel non
anion men to cease from work any more
;han the cJn,entions OF the capitalists pr.o
30 the repeal of the Continuation Laws
can be supported. But. on the other hand
while ho,-headed ard even self-seeRins
lnen have LED members Of yariors union,