The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-15


ment of law providing for it's enforce
ment, there would be reintrodueed the
denial of the right of the worknen to
strike In defense of their interests and
cit1c or personal service and labor. In
other words, under law based upon
compulsory arbitration. if an award were
made against labor, no matter hoR I'M
fair or unjust and brought about by
any means no matter how questionable,
we would be compelled to work or to suf-
fer the state penalty, which might be
either mulcting in damages or going to
jail; not one scintilla of distinction, not
one Jot removed from slavery"
This view of the case is accompanied
by intimations that those who have been
speaking in favor of so-called compul-
sorry arbitration are either the victims of
their own credulity or are mere schemers
seeking to rob labor of its freedom to
work according as 1t thinks it's interests
dictate. Indeed, Mr.. Gompers seems in
his address to have descended to the low
plane of discussion which recognizes in
most proposals affecting labor which do
not meet the approval of those who are
identified with labor organizations a
conspiracy on the part of capital to ac-
complish some more or less wholly intoI-
cradle end.
When the conflicting interests in an
industrial dispute are either unable or un-
willing to come to an agreement, and
choose rather to resort to stoppage of
work in such industry and adopt more
or less violent methods to attain their
ends, society should certainly have some
means of protecting itself from the re-
suits. This is the consideration which
lies at the basis of the every plan thus
far discussed of so-called enforced arbi-
tration.
It has been found in actual operation
that the principle of Cancellation has op-
Grated in most cases, when backed by
the determination of the state to insist
on arbitration, if necessary, in bring
ing about voluntary agreement be-
tween the opposing interests. This is
really the chief result aimed at, and it is
result which, however it may be
reached, will commend itself to all intel
ligent and disinterested students of in
dustrial questions.
1t will probably be found that there
are constitutional objections in the path
of the adoption of so-called enforced arbi-
tration But these will be found to be,
by no means insuperable The objec-
lions which President Gompers presents,
as outlined above, are hardly worthy of
a moments consideration. His claim
presented elsewhere in MS address, that
strikes and lockouts are made infrequent
in proportion as labor organization. is
/ strong and able to insist on it's demands
is a decidedly one-sided argument. It is
really equivalent to saying that when
organized labor is powerful enough to in
sist on the demands of it's members,
whatever they may be, there will be no
further occasion for disagreements, since
employers will be compelled to accept the
terms offered or withdraw from bust
ness
body the ultimate ending of the barbar-
Gus conditions now attending the settle
ment of labor disputes. But the OBJ
jections urged against it by the head of
the chief organization of union labor in
the United States are in any event I'M
worthy of serious consideration.