Sunday morning globe., 1901-10-06
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1901.
The RIght to Labor.

The right to labor Is a natural and
therefore, a God-bestowed right. 1t is
a right which transcends ali other
rights, for it involves the right to live
We have physical wants on the salts.
faction Of which depend not only the
maintenance Of life but likewise the
development Of our mental and spirit
ual powers. The satisfaction OF these
wants are dependent on labor With
the need for labor, God has given us
the power, laying on us the injunction
to labor Any man OF set Of men who
attempts to deprive another Of this
right does what Is legally and morally
wrong. Every man has a right to him.
self, and consequently has a right to
labor and to possess and enjoy the re-
suits. There is no other power by
which man is endowed save the power
of exercising his own faculties. How
can he In any other way aid in the
production of wealth, minister to the
desires OF affect other men? The laws
Of nature and the DEGREES Of God rec
Ognize no ownership save as the re-
suit Of labor In no other way can
the forces Of nature be utilized and
harnessed to the service Of mankind.
Nature recognizes no claim but that
Of labor, and recognizes that without
respect to the claimant. The equal
right of all men, therefore, to labor is
as clear as the equal right to breathe
the air or bask in the sunshine,
A man also has a right to quit work
If he sees fit, but he has no right to
interfere with the personal freedom Of
another who wishes to take his place.
He may, Of course, use peaceable per-
suasion. but the moment he attempts
TO intimidate by acts Of violence, he is
trampling on the principle Of equal
freedom, which must be maintained by
the law as it is by public opinion. This
principle, although taught by trades
unions. is too frequently violated by
individual members. Such members
are an injury to the cause they pretend
to espouse and deserve no protection
from their organization. On the con.
trary. they should be treated as trait
ors and held in greater aversion than
ayOwed enemies.
Reason and intelligence, addressed to
the sentiment Of eternal justice, should
be workingmen's only weapon.
The trades unionist who resorts to
violence is as a rule a contemplate
coward, who commits a crime with the
expectation that his co-workers will
shield him. II he we're a brave, con.
scientlous man he would not commit
a wrong that would involve innocent
parties. Such contemplate features
cover benefcent movements with in
fanny and disgrace. The motive which
impelled and the feeling which ami
mated the Columbus Trades and Labor
Assembly TO denounce Hon. J. j. Lentz
as tyrannical and an enemy to organ
lied labor may be traced to such das-
tardly ignoramuses. 1t appears that
the brickmakers Of the Ohio Pressed
Brick Company struck for higher
wages and were successful Upon their
return to work they demanded that
five non-union men working in the
yard be either compelled to join the
union or be discharged. The manager
OF the company told the committee that
called on him that while he did not
object to the union men using peace
able persuasion to induce them to join
the union he would not compel them
to do so, nor would be discharge them
IL they refused to join, The union de
clared a strike and the five non-unior
men continued to work. One evening
they were set upon and severely beat
en- by party Of strikers; the yard was
picketed, and the manager was mott
fed that the plant would be destroyed
II he did not grant the demands Of the
union. Matters had become critical
and in his dilemma the manager en-
gagged Mr.. Lentz as his counsel, who Sc
cured a permanent injunction in the
United States court restraining the
strikers from interfering with the op
erauons Of the brickyard. Mr. Lent
told his client that he was personally
unalterably opposed to government By
injunction, but as long as 1t obtained
he would invoke it's aid in behalf Of hil
clients, and furthermore he believed
that the surest and best way to abolish
bad law or precedent was by its stric
enforcement.