Evening star., 1901-08-10
IRELAND ZoN STRIKES
ARCHBISHOP OF sT. PAUL DISCUSSES
ssTHE.ne ETHICS.
Personal LiberH Must Not he -kbridE-
ed BY 1.so Unto. TN A..ers-
fng as Rights.

Archbishqb IreIZnd passed through New
fork yesterday afternoon. returning home
from the. Catholic total abstinence con-
vention at-Hartford. He said the report
In some New York papers to the effect that
ne had been invited to make efforts tend
ing toward the settlement OF the strike
or that he had himself the intention OF
putting himself forward in this connec-
ton was utterly unwarranted and with
our roundation. No one had suggested to
MIN that he might do ANY work in that
direction. and he had never for moment
imagined that IT was proper for him to
oner himself as capable Of doing any.
BENG further urged to express an opin-
ION upon the present strike and strikes in
general. he said:
In common with all citizens. L cannot
put deeply depiore occurrences OF this ma
ture A strike is always thing most re-
Sfettable, and only under most extraordf-
nary circumstances may 1t be counte-
nanced A strike not only fnfiicts most
serious injury upon parties fmmediately
concerned in it. whether employers or EN-
pfoyes. but 1t disturbs the business of the
country. interrupts public prosperity. opens
the way TO bitterness OF feeling between
Grasses and endangers social peace
The effects of a strike weigh especially
upon the workingmen, who through 1t are
put out of employment, and upon their
ployes can bear the burdens resulting from
a strike; employers suffer large financial
losses, but to them such losses are COM
paratfyely small shares of their expected
revenues. while the losses brought to enl-
ployes take from these all that they have
and open before them the door to suffering
that will be long lasting, If not to starva-
tion itself
At Times Strikes Are Justified.
'Of course, to employees entering will
fngiy in a strike the matter is one that
Is their personal concern. and others have
but to concede to them their legal right
to act in such matter as they will. Men
are the masters of their hands and of
their labor; the liberty is theirs to work
or not to work. provided they understand
the consequences that follow and are sat1s-
fed to accept and endure such conse-
quences. Not only indeed Is this liberty
at all times theirs but we must further
mere grant that occasions may arise and
do arise when strike, however serious
the consequence for the workmen, Is
means. at times perhaps the sole means,
through which rights appertaining to them
and which are of vital Importance TO their
ultimate welfare can be secured. When 1t
is that under this aspect of things strikes
may be allowed. even commended. Is
question to be determined by close eXami-
nation OF the circumstances or each par
ticular strike.
"I am laying down general rsinciples of
ethics-not deciding the merits # any par
ticular case. But while the right to enter
upon a strike is and must be conceded as
a right belonging to the personal freedom
of workingmen, this must ever be demand
ed-and In the name of the same principle
Of personal freedom under which men act
who refuse to work-that they who cease
to work m,ist in way interfere with the
liberty of others who may wish to work.
The personal freedom Of the individual
citizen is the most sacred and precious in
heritance Of Americans The Constitution
and the laws authorize 1t; the spirit of the
country proclaims it; the prosperity Of the
people, the very life of the nation require
it. Whatever the other interests at stake,
that of the personal freedom of the In
diyidual outranks them ALL and this must
be sustained even If those are TO be sacri-
feed. Neither state fellow-citizen may
Interfere with my personal liberty. This is
the very core Of Americansm This Is the
teaching, positive and clear, of natural and
OF Christian ethics.
Personal Liberty Must Be Respected.
"It Is not for me to dispute the benefits
that may be believed to accrue to the
workingman from labor unions. nor am I
prepared to say from the information that
comes to me through newspapers that In
the present strike unions pretend to
shorten personal freedom Of men that do
not join their ranks: but this must be ever
emphatiealy asserted and maintain as
an inviolable principle. that however much
labor unions may nave reason to widen
their muster rolls, and however much they
have the legal and moral right to do this
through pacific and persuasive methods.
they must not attempt to wrest from men
outside their ranks the right to work or
seek to coerce them into inactivity by
illegal unjust attacks upon their civil or
moral freedom.
Equity and law are superior to the per-
senal welfare of an individual or of aggre-
cations Of individuals, and equity and law
demand that the personal freedom Of the
citizen whoever he is, be made sacred and
secure. So long as this freedom Is re-
spected the questions evoked In the present
strike may be left, In my opinion to the
men, employers or employees. who are d.
rectly concerned IN 1t. although meanwhile
all citizens have many reasons to hope
and to pray that brotherly love and calm
counsel will prevail both among employers
and employees. and that peace will soon
again reign In the land"
DRDUV CARMEN