The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-08-30
fRIGHTy or STRIKERS .'"'>.'. .- ~
RIGHTS OF PUBLIC
Many Point Brought out Relative to thu rights of
Labor; Employees and the Public - Or:
-: dnized Labor Has Not Been Reck.
less, 1t Needs No Conversion. *>-': j..

In the strike Of the anthracite min
ers. who said, mo concessions, no ar
bitration." The presidents Of the coal
carrying railroads said it.
! Who offered to accept arbitration. of
the strictly impartial kind? The repre-
sentatives of the $4,000 miners.
The operators and railroads opposed
the efforts Of the Cancellation commit
tee OF the industrial department of the
Civic Federation, and even the sugges-
ton OF President Roosevelt's interven-
ton under a supposed statute, Gn
1896, when the so-called railroad arbi-
tration law was under consideration,
among other objections We interposed
cation Of such labor disputes as the one
now under consideration and such as
were investigated in 1S94:) discovered
to have been repealed, was resented
and characterized as dangerous and
vicious.
And all this in spite of the fact that
railroads enjoy exclusive and valuable
privileges from the public, and that the
coal-carrying roads were VIGOROUSLY
parties in an illegal monopoly, as shown
by the plain statements of the Indus
trial commission!
If moral obligations are operative
anywhere, they are surely operative in
cases where the industry affected by
strike is a national monopoly, where
franchises have removed the natural
check Of supply and demand.
In Chicago there was strike Of
teamsters employed by the big packing
companies, which are under public ac-
cusation Of unlawful monopoly. The
strikers demanded recognition of their
union, an increase of pay, and some
other things. The packers declined to
IDEAL with strangers;' or to recognize
the union in any way. The people Of
Chicago were practically all against the
packers, and they had to yield; but
they, not the teamsters, at first re-
jected arbitration and friendly media
ton.
So perverted are the notions Of il
liberal and short-sighted employers
that when the simplest truth is stated
it sounds like a paradox.
It is forgotten that the Workman
too, has his business" to manage, and
that, to say the least, his part in pro-
duction is as essential as that of CAPT.
tal
When workmen insist on certain
terms, they are not seeking to control
the employers business, but to lay
down the conditions of their own par
ticipation in that business.
Too many still assume that the en-
ployer is to be thanked and regarded as
a benefactor for paying wages at all,
and giving his employees work!
This miserable fallacy is back of ev-
cry arrogant claim put forward by
capital. But for it, everybody would
see that if the workman has some
thing. to -anbitfate,- 80 has the employer
In fine, a candid examination of the
facts will satisfy reasona BILE men that
the interests and rights of the public
are seldom disregarded by organized
labor, and that the obstinacy, SUPER
ciliousness and bigotry Of certain types
of employers are responsible for the
number, duration and character Of
strikes and labor contests. =:
Assuredly, no sane man will ask
Workmen to accept any terms employ:
ers, choose to grant them.
What more can labor do than to
agree to accept mediation and arbitra
ton?
What more does consideration for the
third party" require?
Let, then, the champions and spokes-
men for the public address their pro
tests and appeals to the backward and
short-sighted employers whose name,
alas, is still legion.
Organized labor needs no conversion.
It is ready to do the right thing at the
right time.