New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-06-17
TIE RIGHT TO WORK.

The coal strike began with the customary "o
surances on the part of the leaders thaI uIuei
no circumstances would any act OF 'loieh0e
officially countenanced. and that from hlsL Z"
last it would be conducted with scrupulous ie
snect for the law Nevertheless the stage vi
aggressive disorder has been reached, ana deeus
of indisnutahle lawlessness are becoming more
freouent In truth il may be doubted Whether
since the strike was declared a day has passed.
which has not been marked by violations OF the
law The anthracite miners had legal llsn'
10 stop work IL they chose to do So ana IL 10
understood furthermore that they were Tree
from the moral obligation of promise ike tnai
which they are urging their friends in the
hftuminous field with partial success, to break
But they were bound to refrain not merely from
assaults on men who wanted to continue OF ell
gage In the service of the companies. They
were at liberty TO use argument and persuasion,
and nerhsns entitled 10 credit for whatever sue
cess they gained BY that method. But not for
q single hour did they confine themselves 10
argument and persuasion. They resorred at
once 10 intimidation 70 slanderous vituperat1on,
TO manifold and ingenious acts of cruelty Tow
ard peaceable citizens, including women ana
children as special objects of their wellnigh IN
bearable affronts.
If such conduct as this were strictly WITHIN
the letter of the law its consequences would III
evitablv be injurious to the interests which IL is
meant IN serve The American people, of whom
the members of trade unions small frac-
zion detest rneanness and cowardice, and be-
cause they clearly recognize the fact that SUCH
acts are mean and cowardly they Withhold their
svpnathv from cause whose representatives
seek 10 promote it in that manner Looked at,
therefore merely from the point of view OF
practical utility this sort Of coercion Is tne eA-
IRENE of folly. But the question of advantage
is not the chief question. II is the duty or the
authorities TO prevent violations OF the Ia"
which do not take the form of violence. ana
unless constant reports from the mines are de-
ceitful that duty has been uniformly and ma
GRAVITY neglected hitherto. One of the results Of
such neglect-neglect seemingly due 10 a false
conception of personal rights or 10 timidity-is
now seen in grosser but not more unlawful out
breaks of the spirit which has been declaring
itself from the beginning: and If, as now seems
not unlikely. armed forces should soon be called
on TO preserve the peace by grim measures those
will be in no slight degree responsible who thus
far have consented to Illegal and outrageous
abuses.
1t ought not TO be necessary for men TO COM
bine for the purpose of securing TO themselves
through the influence of numbers and cohesion
the rights which the law guarantees to them
as individuals But if the constituted authorl-
ties whether under a misrepresentation or from
political motives, continue much longer to per-
nit nractices of the sort which this strike has
continually witnessed we shall expect to see
powerful union formed in defence of the prin-
ciple that man has a right TO work where and
when he pleases for wages which be chooses 10
accent