Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-08-12
Union Gas & EIectricsco.
WaterviIle { Fairfield Railway { Light Co.
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND 4
Makes Points Regarding Strikes NllA Ar'
Simply Beyond Dispute.

New York, Aug. 9.-Arcbbi6 1pp IRE
land passed through New York. this
afternoon. returning home from the
Catholic Total AbEtinence e9Dsention
in Hartford To reporter of Tire As
ISOLATED Prees. he said that thu report
that h. had been invited 10 make eff
forts toward the Settlement OF the
strike or that he had lrimself The in
tcntiun 81 putting himself forward IN
this connection WAS utterly without
foundation No one had suggested to
him that he might d. any work IN that
direction and he had never for mo-
ncnt ina gined that il was proper for
him To offer himself as capable of do
ing any. Being further urged TO ex-
press an opinion upon the present
strike and siriocs In general. he said:
In common with all citizens ! can
not but deeply deplore occurrences OF
this nature. A strike Is always thing
most regrettable and only under most
extraordinary circumstances can II be
countenanccd. A strike not only in
aicts most serious injury upon parties
Immediately concerned in il. whether
employers or employees, but it disturbs
public prosperity. opens the way 10
bitterness Of feeling between classes
and cndanGers social peace.
of course To employees entering will
lngly into a strike the matter is one
th1t is their personal concern and 9TH
ars have but Ia concede to them their
local right to act in such matter as
lhey will. Men are the masters of their
hands and OF their labor. the liberty
is theirs To work or not To work. pro-
vidod they understand the consequences
that follow and are satisfied to accept
and endure such consequences. Not
only. indeed. is this liberty at all times
theirs: but we must Furthermore grant
that occasions may arise and do arise
when a strike. however serious the
consequences for the workingman, is a
means at times. perhaps. the sole
means through which right appertain-
ing to them and which are of vital inn
portance To their ultimate welfare. can
he secured When under this aspect of
things strikes may be allowed or even
commended, is a question to be deter
mined by close examination of the cir
cumstances OF each particular strike.
LII "a if4- 'ipN u al ~ lii' 4btNs'
of ethics. not deciding the merits Of
any particular case. But while the
right to enter upon strike is and
must be conceded as a right belonging
to the personal freedom of workingmen
this much must ever he demanded
and in the name Of the same principle
NJ personal freedom under which men
act who refuse to work-that they who
cease To work must in no way inter
ferc with the liberty Of others who may
wish to work
The personal freedom of the indi
ridual citizen is the most sacred and
precious inheritance If Americans The
constitution and the laws authorize 1t;
the spirit of the country proclams it,
the prosperity of the people, the very
HE of the nation require 1t. Whatever
the other interests at stake. that of the
personal freedom Of the individual
outranks them all. and this must he
sustained even if those are to be sac
riiiced.
Neither state nor fellow citizen may
Interfere with my personal liberty.
This is the very core Of Americanism.
This is the teaching. pNitive and clear
y
IS not for me to dispute the benefits
that may be believed to accrue to the
working man from labor unions: nor
am | prepared to say from the inform
nation that comes to me through
newspapers that in the present strike
unions pretend to shorten personal
freedom of men that do not join their
ranks.
But this must be ever emphatically
asserted and maintained as an invio-
liable principle. that however much la
Dor unions may have reason to widen
their muster rolls. and however much
they have the legal and moral right to
do this through pacific and persuasive
methods they must not attempt to
wrcst from men outside their ranks
the right to work. or to seek to coerce
them inactively by illegal or unjust
attacks upon their civil and moral
freedom"