The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-18

HE STREET CAR strike at
Albany arose principally
over the demand Of. the
union that the company.
should discharge nine non-union men
and refuse in future to employ other
Than union men, In varying form this
demand is being pressed by labor
unions all over the country. In many
cases where it is refused strikes ana
hoycotts have been declared and Vlo-
1ence with loss of life and property.
has followed. The aim of the labor
union movement in many instances Is
NOT simply to persuade workingmen
outside the unions to join the unions;
it is to make ii impossible for man
to secure employment who is not Il
member of Il union in good standing.
Instead of the unions being for the
men, a doctrine has arisen which is
in effect that the men must be TOR
the unions or get abused, stoned. boy
,.ottod and even killed. When these
things occur as they do all too fire.
ruentlv. and it becomes necessary FOR
those who believe in law and order
to take measures to put lawlessntSs
down. som. of the leaders in the labor
union move ment. instead of co-operat-
ing cordially with the publicaul horities
for the preservation of the peace. lat
terly seem inclined to cry out upon the
champions Of the law and to pass reSo-
lulions condenning them. The de-
yelOprent Of such II spirit is omnous
/, seems to us that there has been
a great deal of patience in the attitude
which the Intelligent public opinion of
our time has assumed toward these
later manifestations of organized la
ior's increasing unfairness to the la
lor that is not organized. If the right
oC trades unioniStS or their friends
t. mob men who seek work ON
an independent basis and to
tie mp th" peaceful processes of indus
try until employers are either conf
PEELED to serve as recruiting agents OF
the unions or else have to call for
troops to protect their property ana
lives Is to be conceded and accepted
will not recastng of our flnda-
mental laws be in order? The courts
the righr to work and the right to
cult work are coordinate and unalien-
able: and that where the employer and
The emplOye are in agreement in an
orderly manner the one paving what
he agrees to pay and the other per-
forming for that pay the service which
hc has agreed to perform, it Is not the
business of any third party to inter-
fere certainly not to interfere by the
use of vile language. stones and clubs
To force an Industrious worker into
idcness and his wife and children into
want In the line of decisions bearing
on this point there is NOT. 10 our
knowledge, a single break. Every
where and on all ccasions ii has been
held by the representative tribunals
of American justice that the sanctity Of
contract is a condition of civilization
and the freedom of the individual
within tho limits of the law Il necos-
Sary social safeguard.
But If the new doctrine is To- pre-
vail that only those workinemen are
10 work in peace who belong to unions.
and that only those industries are to
proceed which admit to their manage
ment and control the officers of unions,
whether employees or not. then "A new
reading of the law will be necessary
if there Is to he any connection be-
tween law and fact. If there is 10 he
=" connection, 1t may Well be asked,
What is law worth?