The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-15
WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER. Is. 1902
AMERICAN PRINCIPLES.

a
The coal operators bunsled their case
badly, but they laid down In recent
ou,ri..ins to the public two principles
which cannot be shaken. The first was
This:
The anthracite companies do not un-
dertake in the slightest manner 70 o.s-
<.rirninate against members OF tne
SYn,fe6 Mine Workers Of America but
sheys 10 tns,st that members Of that orr
sanitation shall not discriminate AGAINST
or decline to work with non-members OF
Guch association.
Mr.. Baer did himself and his asso-
edates an injustice when he taTtly re-
nl,ed 20 Governor odell that they would
never recognize the union. Here was q
recognition of tie union and no dispute
about it. But it was not an exclusive
recognition of the union. i his PROPOSE
don was equivalent to saying that the
mine operators would employ Members
AZ the union at a scale of wages TO be
agreed upon. and would make no ois-
cr1ruInation against any man because ne
heloneed to a labor union. which meant
mat the union was at liberty to get into
Its ranks all the workers IN the coal
mines, If II could persuade them to JON.
But the operators also contended mat
Shey would not discriminate. nor allow
me. union to discriminate. against
lAborer because he was not Perinit'en
10 ioin the union or because he DID not,
for reasons sufficient to himself. care
to do so.
THAT principle is as sound as the ioeca-
logue. is as sound as any principle Oh
law or equity that IS recognized IN thls
or any civilized country The right 10
work is as sure the right TO gut
work. and st is violation OF the car
d,nal principles Of American government
for any man or for any organization 10
hinder man from working because Oh
his peculiar beliefs or because OF his
faiiure to subscribe to tie beliefs OF
others concerned. AS well say that
man should be Disseminated against IN
the labor world because of his political
or religious atfillaton, because OF MS
failure to join this party or that as 70
contend that he should be. Disseminated
against because of MS failure to join
some labor organization. The essentials
az ilperty are involved in this principle,
and the American people. so long as they
are true to themselves. can never depart
tnerefronl.
The next proposition was tbs:
.rhat there shall be no deterioration In
! the quantity or quality Of the work. and
that there shall be no EFFORT TO restIlct
the individual lexertions Of men VINO,
working by the ton or car. may LOT rea-
sons sat tsfactory to themselves and their
employers produce such quantity OF
work as they may desire.
That proposition is also sound. quite
as sound as the other In this country
not only has man the right to work.
but he has the right to work to the ex-
tent OF his capacity. and as long as he
chooses to labor. If he wishes to work
FOR ten hours or twelve hours or fifteen
hours day. it Is his own affair, and no
man and no organization has the right
to interfere. II he chooses to join an
organization whose rules provide that
he shall not work but SO many hours
a day, it is his right to do SO. and the
organization has the right to enforce
the rule against him, he reserving to
himself always the privilege of with
drawing and so putting himself beyond
its regulations But if he chooses to re-
main outside and make rules fog himself
the organization has no right to inter-
1cre.
BY the same token man has the right
TO do as much work as he is capable Of
doing in a given time and has the right
to receive extra pa. for the extra work
which he does, and il is not for any
other man or any organization to put a
handicap upon him. II by superior ca
paclty and industry he be able to do
the work Of two men and SO receive the
Ray Of two men it is his right as free
man and an American citizen to do SO.
ptherw;se there would be no stimulus
TO energy and activity. and ambition
would be sapped IL a man is to be
bound down by hard and fast rules which
do not permit him 10 work longer than
a given period in day, nor to turn
out more than fixed output in a given
time, he will soon become a mere ma
chine and do his work in a mechanical
~ n u n 4
way, taking very little interest in it ex-
cept the drawing of his pay.
1t Is. after all. the extra effort that
counts in this world. It is the extra Ell
fort that raises a man above the level
and lifts him out of the general class
into a higher sphere. Therefore. il q
man be deprived OF the privilege Of maxi
ing the extra EFFORT he is deprived OF the
privilege OF ou;stripping his fellownlan:
and when deprived Of that privilege his
ambition must necessarily de and he
will become a plodder and a slave.
Let us go back to the Bible for the
true doctrlne. In the parable OF the
talents one man received from his en-
pioyer nre talents. another two and an
other one. each according to his several
abilities 1t is taught in that parable