The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-12

~ N THE different speeches which
President Roosevelt has made up
and down the country before
members of organized labor, he
lays emphatic stress upon the broad
principle that the usefulness. the viril-
ity and adaptation of organized labor
to the circumstances and industrial
progress.of the times can only be sus-
tained by recognition of individual re-
spOnsibilty man who enters d union
and is shorn of this factor In his MAN.
hood and civic allegiance to society as
whole. cannot be regarded as free
agent. Society, it is true. is itself an
organic union. but the social unit is
absolutely free so long as his freedom
of action does not interfere with the
equity of others. Within this sphere he
is at liberty to pursue in his own way
the ideals of life and happiness which
he is capable of attaining. 1t is the
tendency the unfortunate tendency Of
organized labor to circumScribe as
largely as possible the liberty of in
itiative of the members of the union.
and not satisfied with this inroad upon
individualism it endeavoss. by lawful
means when possible. but by unlawful
acts frequently, TO set limitations TO
the activities of men who refuse upon
their own responsibility to become as
socated with its machinery They may
he wise or they may be foolish in this
attitude; but it is the business of every
government which has Il conception of
its highest responsibility to secure them
against the aggression of any man or
body of men who try to abrogate that
privilege. which is at the bottom of all
others. the right of every man to work
and sell his labor when and where he
pleases.
The apoloGistS of coercion and intimi-
dation of free abor insist that We're ii
not for trade unionism the lot of the
Workingman would be what ii Was
twenty years ago. and that conbina-
tiOn is absolutely necessary to combat
with its own methods the unscrupulOus
aggression and tyranny of capital. No
one with sense disputes the general
force and the truth of these arguments.
Capital has been greedy, selfish and
tyrannical. 1t is not remarkable for
its magnanmity yet. The legitimate
scope and attitude of trade unionsnl il
forcing il into II recognition OF it's re-
sponsibility AS well ns delmtaling its
rights. If coercion and intimidation
We're the weapons employed by capital
In its economic and historic develop
ment to subordinate labor to its wolhsh
greed, is it an apology or Justification
FOR unionism to emulate its worst
traits? 1t Is hard to believe that it can
be SO, We ARE not concerned, about capi-
tai 1t will in the end take care of it,
self. When organized labor aruliiesces
in, If it does not approve of intimda-
tionsapoercion and the boycott to force
worKsgs to- abstain from doing what
theysl d 4 legal right to do, nothing
can fonowfTssa 10, hing does follow but
wlesseesss sanS Suffering to individuals
and ths copfri,nnlty, The good of each
for all, sand ofssan for each is, as the
preside i4s points gq1t, the evangel of the
twentiethl,,sssJsslTSS ANY force which
subvertsAhissaxipfA of organized soci-
ETY. is ahit5 Social. anti-prosressive and
anti-national,% .Rlie good of all for each
can only h tpanp in the tabsolute
supremacy ofHlaWsand ORDER. ahd the
good of each fofAall can only be sus-
tained by guaranteeing to the indi-
vidual the supremacy of his own IN
itiatve in aN that concerns himself and
that does pst interfere with the indi-
Nidualism Of his neighbor.
1t all amounts inithe end5to the simple
code of life and morals, 1.-THE simplest
and most ilrefragable OF all the aphor-
tsms OF life% Live and let live"