The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-15
AN IRREspoNsIBLE ORGANIZATION.

Along Will some very good features pos
sessed by organized labor It has also some
bad ones, and one Of the worst is it's ire
sponsibility. Although one of the strongest
organizations in the United States. one of
the most extensive and numerous in its
membership. and one Of the most powerful
in it's influence on business and trade, it Is
under no legal responsibility for any of its
acts, agreements or contracts. Personal re-
sponsibility and legal contracts are the
foundation of all business. The man whose
word is as good as his bond is known
wherever he does business. So is the man
against whom contracts can be enforced,
and this responsibility. together with per-
sonal integrity, determines a mans COM
mercial standing. The same is measurably
true of corporations, which, in the eye Of
the law, are persons. A corporation can sue
and be sued, like an Individual. 1t can enter
into contracts in the line of its business
and can be compelled to observe them. If a
corporation violates a contract 1t can be
sued for damages, the same as an individu-
al, and it's commercial standing depends
upon it's legal responsibility as much as 1t
does on it's actual assets. In many corpora
tions, including all national banks and
many others, each individual stakeholder is
liable for the debts Of the corporation to
double the amount of his stock. thus fort:-
flying corporate responsibility with indi-
vidual.
This quality of responsibility and of Ii
Lf1s4.- - - -.-I g. u-~-o1Dsn~ Nr fAf
violation OF contract underlies the whole
business world and applies to all corpora
tons of whatever character, including So
called. trusts. but 1t does not apply TO or
ganized labor. The American Federation of
Labor is composed of 81 affiliated national
unions. 10 state branches, pol city central
unions and 1.017 local unions, with an ag-
gregate membership of nearly 10000. The
affiliated unions publish about 2S5 weekly
or monthly papers devoted to the cause of
labor. The Federation employs and pays
more than $50 organizers of local unions.
For extent, numbers. perfection of organi-
zation. discipline and power to interfere
with the industries of the country or with
individual rights, no other organization can
for a moment be compared with this tre-
mendous labor machine. Yet, in a legal
sense it is entirely irresponsible. 1t cannot
be sued for violation of contract nor for
any violation of law committed by its Of
ficers or members. There is neither corpo-
rate nor individual liability. If a union
makes a contract with "A corporation con-
| corning labor or wages the corporation can
be forced TO observe the contract, but the
| union cannot. IL the corporation violates
it's contract it can be sued for damages.
but every member of the union may vio-
| late his contract and the corporation has
| no redress. Many Of the steel workers now
| out on strike made contracts with their en-
ployers, which they have violated, and
President Shaner has assured them that
their obligation to their union was more
sacred than their contract.
This anomalous condition ought not to
| exist, and will not be permitted to exist
permanently. Agitation and discussion will
demonstrate not only the injustice. but the
danger, OF intrusting such vast powers to
an organization which, i'm a legal sense. is
entirely irresponsible. Conservative labor
leaders themselves will see the inconsist-
ency and nreasonableness of asking that
one party to a contract shall be held re-
sponsible under the law while the other
| party has no responsibility whatever.