The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-28

| see fit, does not rest upon sound foun-
dalton. III, however, in the recognition
| OF their duty to the public they are COM
PEELED to respect other fundamental con-
ditions equally. IL not more important to
the public welfare, they would be false to
their duty IL they should yield to clamor
ana pressure from those who have not
carefully considered the consequences of
| such action. There is a principle more
important than the obligation of private
property to subordinate itself to the gem
eral welfare. The demand Of any man or
| set OF men not occupying public office,
to decide upon the conditions upon which
labor shall seek It's living, and to make
1t subject to a license from irresponsible
leaders. whether representing capital or
| labor, Is In effect, a claim to the power of
life and death, and can never be conceded
without u base surrender of duty to
greed.
THE RIGHT TO LABOR.
The coal operators, therefore. are not
fighting so much for the control of their
own property as for the right of the citi-
zen to labor where he may find employ
ment without interference from organiza-
tions or men who have no right to con-
troll his freedom of action.
Finally, the claim of the United Mine
Workers organization to control the en-
tire coal industry of the country Is based
knowledge is necessary to show that the
coal regions of the United States differ
SO much from each other that the policy
which Is adapted to one is utterly un-
suited to another. Moreover, the various
mines differ from each other in oondi-
tions. requiring careful adjustment In the
wages of labor, and in some respects In
the hours necessary to keep them in
working order. All that n national or
ganization could possibly do would be to
support the claim of workmen who for
any reason are dissatisfied with the con-
ditions which prevail in any particular
lacality or mine.
But to call general instead of local
strike when local grievance is not adj
justed In Il satisfactory way is an out
rage OF such vast proportions that 1t can
not for Il moment be tolerated by a free
people. Moreover, in this day of free dis
cussion and the publicity of all the facts
through the newspapers, there is no pos
sibiity that any coal operator could or
would resist demands which are founded
upon justice The coal mines are all UNI
der official inspection, generally by offi-
GERS who sympathize, and properly so,
with the miners. Any real grievance,
therefore. will not only be promptly made
known. but will be as promptly redressed,
when the questions at issue are discussed
with good temper and free from the pas
sions which are excited by a general
strike, throwing thousands of men out Of
employment.
RECURRENCE OF STRIKES.
The consequences of such strikes are
so disastrous, not merely to the parties
directly concerned. but to the whole CONF
munity, that every effort should be made
as soon as the existing strike has been
called off and the excitement is abatcd
to prevent. by appropriate legislation, the
recurrence Of such calamitous conflicts,
whereby everybody is injured and no one
is benefited.
The enactment of such legislation will
not be attended with more difficulty than
in the case of other disputes, now regu-
lated by law and subject to the adjudica-
tion of the courts, when the miners shall
realize that they are making war upon
their own rights secured by centuries of
conflicts and sacrifices and that at pres
ent victory will result in depriving them
of all personal freedom. Such disastrous
conflicts will cease to recur and arbitra-
tion may then we'll be invoked to settle
local disputes.
The hope of the working classes in the
future, as in the past, for better condi-
tions rests upon personal liberty and the |
security of property. The English speak
ing miners understand this proposition
perfectly well, but for the time being
they are powerless in the presence of bad
prevails In the coal region, subjecting
then to obloquy, violence and death, by
which unwilling acQuiescencc Is enforced |
What is wanted to end this destructive
conflict Is not arbitration, but the stern
of violence and the assured |
protection of the miners who desire to
earn a livelihood for themselves and their |
families. To this protection they are en-
titled. and the government which fails |
to afford it is reproach to republican |
The demand for arbitration comes with |
an i'll grace from a leader who began the |
conflict with an order calling on the en- |
gincers, firemen and pumpmen to aban-
don their task, thus exposing the mines |
to utter ruin. If this order had been |
obeyed, the resumption of work would |
have been indefinitely postponed and the |
helpless victims of this desperate eXpe-
dent reduced to hopeless poverty.
"To rule or ruin" is not policy which |
itself TO the American people
who believe in the old fashioned rule,
that he who demands equity must first do
equity.