Evening star., 1902-08-16
LABOR AND MILITIA
Comment on Typographical
Unions Action.
G 0 Cd CITIZENSHIP
IMPORTANT SOCIAL, IF NOT
LEGAL, QUESTION.
Many Organizations Have Passed
Resolutions Prohibiting Members
FROM Joining State Forces.

The action of the International Typo
graphical Union at it's convention in Gin
cinnatt a few days ago in voting down, by
good majority. the proposition that its
members shall not become affiliated with
the militia of the different states raises
very important. social, if not legal, question
as to the status of such organizations and
their individual members who have voted to
withdraw from the militia and such wh5
prohibit their members from belonging to
state military organizations" said a prom-
inent member of the District bar to a Star
reporter this morning.
For number of years recently during
which the organizations of nearly all kinds
OF manual occupations have solidified reso-
lutions similar to those introduced at the
convention in question have been passed a.
the dlHerent conventions of these ore 4niEa-
lions. These resolutions are of exceeding
Importance in affecting the citizenship of
those interested. The matter might come
up for Judicial determination, as fo- in
stance, where a man was summoned to
serve upon jury who was a member of A
union which has officially declared against
the militia. The opposing counsel, ii the
case was SUCH as to warrant the obje lion
would object to the man serving upon the
jury upon the ground that he was not a
good citizen for the reason that he was a
member of body of men who were o,i
the state to suppress riots and disturbances
by lawful means
Vital Importance of the Question.
Should any court exclude a member of
a union who had declared against the
militia from serving upon a jury upon the
ground that he was biased and incompe-
tent, other courts would quickly follow
the precedent, and new question of vital
Importance would be presented to our
Jurisprudence which would make of such
men marked figures in their respective
communities, and woul have a decided
bearing on the American practice of or
ganizations giving attention to matters en-
trely outside of their jurisdiction. Or, as
lawyers well know, the same result could
be reached in the instance of a witness
whose testimony was excluded, who
was DECLARED to be incompetent. for the
reason Stated.
Such a judicial ruling would deprive a
man to a certain extent of certain of his
rights of citizenship as they are enjoyed
by men who are individual and free from
Obligations to organizations. While the
proposition for men to organize is not COM
batted, but is encouraged, the legal aspects
of their condition is in nowise changed and
the courts would put a question something
like this:
Are citizens Of the United States who are
members of organizations which prohibit
their fellow members from entering the
militia of the different states; whose or
SdillHeu pOiICS ~ against SuCH state HILL
tary service, as good citizens as those who
believe in the maintenance of a state
militia, for the preservation of the public
peace upon failure Of the municipal and
county officials to preserve it; who deny the
sovereign, inherent right of state to exer-
else its supreme police power?
of course, in the present embryonic
stage of the question the matter cannot
become acute because the organized oppo-
sitton has not reached sufficient magnitude.
No object lesson has as yet been brought
home to the people, and the matter has not,
therefore, attracted the attention ii would
had the decisions L suggest been rendered.
Members of these organizations would no
doubt consider themselves good citizens
of their respective states those who be-
ieVe in the maintenance of this supreme
police power of protection. But were their
views to obtain in actuality, state militias
would soon be things of mere remembrance,
the sheriff of his county would be the su-
preme police power of his community, riot
and disorder in local communities would go
unchecked; the second defense military line
of the republic would be Obliterated, and
there would be wiped out of our republican
form of government one of the mainstays
which hold it together.