Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-08-26
ARBITRATION THE THING.
So Says One Who Recognizes Equal
Rights For Labor and Capital.

Just now, when the country is being
agitated by the great labor strikes and
certain lines of business are practically
paralyzed for the time being 1t might
be well to stop and think for moment
toward what end all this is tending and
the price the country is paying to settle
these difficulties.
The main thing with the labor people
is to secure recognition for their or
ganizations by capital. They feel that
unless they can do this their organiza-
tion has failed to accomplish its end
and they are still at the mercy of cap
ital.
On the other hand. the capitalists
look upon this demand of labor as
sentimental and ridiculous. They rea-
son that If laborers want to quit work
when they are receiving good pay and
steady employment, all because of some
imagined grievance In the way of pub
Lie recognition, let them go ahead. Cap
ital can stand 1t If they can.
And SO the public has the spectacle
presented to 1t of two great classes
of producers, the tool owners and the
tool users. at swords points. and this
at time of unexampled prosperity
and business activity.
The general public is interested In
this matter more than 1t cares to own
Its business is In turn affected, but 1t is
forced to grin and bear 1t, for there
seems to be no remedy. Still the pub
lie cannot help asking the question now
and then, Have capital and labor a
right to carry on war which not only
Injuries themselves, but damages their
innocent neighbor as well" When
vast combinations of capital can ap-
propriate railroad system which cov-
ers practically the whole country or
monopolizes a single industry or com
modify and when In self protection Ia
Dor organizes and perfects Its organiza-
tion to the point where a strike will
extend from New England to Florida,
when it will eventually be In posi-
tion to tie up an entire system or cor
poration, then where do the rights of
the public come IN? Are the business In
terests of the country to be ruined be-
cause two sets of individuals think
they must needs fight? Is the public
going to stand idly by and see lives
lost, property ruined and money sacri-
feed? And yet this Is the price we are
paying TO adjust these matters, when
they could be settled by simple arbltra-
tion-could be adjusted by intelligence
instead Of force without the loss of
cent. Is 1t necessary for an intelligent
people to pay the price which will be
inevitable unless some action Is taken?
The Immediate contendlng parties
seem to have lost sight of everything
except what they are pleased to call
their rights. Labor, 1t is true, has of
fered to arbitrate its differences, but
capital seems to think 1t has nothing
to arbltrate. 1t thinks that the propos-
ais of labor for shorter hours or rec
ognition of its union amount to an un-
warranted interference with business
which capital considers as its own es-
pecial concern.
Now, In this matter capital will even
tually find that 1t Is mistaken In all
large enterprises the men employed are
pcISOllully iuleTebleu. i ne output OF
| these immense corporations Is not en-
tirely the property of the parties who
own the tools The workmen employed,
who use the tools and make the product
Of the corporation possible, have
right to their share. If capital, through
organizing into trust, is able to appro-
pirate to itself more of the public
wealth and dictate the price of labor to
Its employees more effectually, then la
Dor has right to organize for self pro-
lection. If the trust receives recogni-
tlon, then the labor organizations
should receive 1t also. And the public
should see that the differences which
arise between these parties, labor and
capital, are properly and promptly nd
justed by arbitration.
1t is bad enough in all conscience for
the public to be robbed by exorbltant
trust prices without having its business
ruined by the quarrels of these giant
IcOmbinations-E J. Merriam