The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-08-24

week on his way home from the East,
Archbishop Ireland was interviewed
on strike troubles and asked how he
thought they might be averted in the
future. In reply the archbishop said
in part:
81 have no fault to find with strikes
so long as the strikers do not interfere
with the rights of others. Any man
has the right to stop work when he
chooses, but he does not possess the
right to prevent some one else from
going to work. When such attempt
is made to infringe upon the rights
of others the majesty of our law is be-
ing set aside. AS loyal Americans
we should demand that the whole
force of our government be brought
to bear, if necessary, to protect tho
rights of a single man to sell his labor
and skill to whomever he wishes. If
trade unions would stop at the point
where they assume the right to quit
work no fault could be found with
them. 1t is only when they attempt
to stop others from working that there
is reason to complain"
The representative of the Chicago
Chronicle who interviewed the arch
bishop proceeded to the Auditorium
and asked Michael Davitt what he
thought of the views of the St. Paul
prelate. The Irish patriot said that
ideally he agreed with but practically
he dissented from the views expressed
by his grace. Mr.. Davitt dictated his
own views as follows:
"What Archbishop Ireland remarks
concerning the precious nature of per-
sonal liberty is true. 1t is true also
that the fact of unionism among work
ingmen does limit. and curtail their
personal liberty to an extent. In an
ideal state. wherein personal liberty
should be the undiminished preroga-
tive Of every man, we would have no
unions among workingmen nor COM
binations between employers.
"But condition and not theory
confronts us. The workingman finds
he has to deal with capitalistic COM
bination. Especially is this true in
America, where you have developed or
invented the trust or gigantic combi-
nation. The purpose Of the trust, it's
reason for existence, is the suppression
of competition. The trust extinguish-
es its weaker rivals. That is a vast
curtailment of personal liberty.
'If the trust operates by suppress
sion, then the practical salvation of
the workingman lies in his association
in unions. His retention Of full per-
sonal liberty to hire out as he chooses
would avail him little in the face of
n capitalistic combination which die,
tates whom he must serve and at what
wages.
practically. then. in society capt.
talistically organized. the theoretical
objection to unions put forward by
Archbishop Ireland has no sound basis.
If capital has the right of association,
so has labor. If capital unites. so
must the wage earners'
The Irish Standard believes in per-
sonal liberty for every man whether
he is millionaire or beggar. The
archbishop is right in saying that a
man has right to stop work when
nhnncnS hyrf fhnt 1,o ,3~~1,A
to prevent another from taking his
place. When he says, however, that
"as loyal Americans we should de-
mand that the whole force of our gov
eminent be brought to bear, If neces-
sary to protect the rights of single
man to sell his labor and skill to
whomever he Wishes" he speaks like
an advocate of trusts, for that is ex-
actly what trusts expect the govern
ment to do for them, and what it has
done on previous occasions.
What the government should do is
to act as arbitrator between trusts
and their employees and prevent the
periodical strikes that do so much
damage to the country as we'll as to
those concerned. So long as trusts
exist the wage earners must organize
for their own protection. AS Mr.. Da-
witt says what does personal liberty
signify to workinglnan who hires
out to corporation (which dictates
whom he must serve and at what
wages?
The archbishop says he has no fault
to find with strikes so long as the
strikers do not interfere with the
rights Of others. Do not the trusts
interfere with the rights of others?
Their object is the suppression Of com.
petition SO that they can charge the
public what they please. They are
the vultures Of the body polite, and
the American people are determined
to get rid Of them as quickly as pos
sible
The workingmen in the employ Of
trusts would be veritable slaves IL
they had no labor organizations. They
have succeeded in getting higher wag-
es and shorter hours by united CO.
operation and have convinced the
trusts that they possess certain rights
which must be respected. They are