The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-12
The Voice of
The People

A strike IN Industrial war. All wars are
bad except wars for freedom, and the
concert OF the free nations should be able
70 secure the freedom OF peoples without
resort TO war. Public opinion. the only
majesty In a democracy. should be able
TO secure the ends OF justice and morality
In Industrial relations. saving the social
waste and injury OF Industrial war.
Without discussing how II might have
been avoided. ! affirm that the highest
considerations OF public expediency re-
Quire that the existing street car strike
In Rhode Island ought 10 be immediate
ly terminated I'm manner honorable TO
all parties. and In such manner as to Sc
cure the legal and moral rights OF all
parties TO the controversy.
IL is for the interest OF the strikers. OF
the railroad company. and OF the public.
'the butcher. the baker and the CANDLE
stickmaker." that the strike should end
at once In an honorable way.
The primary cause OF the strike IL tho
refusal OF the company TO abide by the
ten-hour law recently passed by the
General Assembly. Incidentally there is
question OF wages. important and event.
ually requiring a just solution: but the
moving cause OF the strike is the question
OF hours and the new law In relation
thereto. In view OF the facts that under
the law OF congress. letter carriers and
all other laborers In the employ OF the
United States are required TO work only
eight hours; that by direct action OF the
people under Massachusetts, statute.
laborers In the employ OF cities In Mas
sachusetts work but eight hours. that
the working hours In the textile factor
les In Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
are legally restricted TO IS per week. that
I'm Massachusetts and other great states
the legal hours for street car men are ten,
and that I'm many trades the work day
has been reduced 10 nine and even eight
hours by employers on the demand OF
labor unions. II is inevitable that the gen.
eral sympathy should be with the motor
men and conductors I'm their demand that
a ten-hour law for their benefit should be
observed I'm letter and In spirit.
The company. however claims that the
law Is unconstitutional. IL has legal
right TO make this claim. The legal rights
OF even a rich corporation enjoying valua-
BILE public franchises should be scrupu-
lously respected At the same time. the
constitutional and legal and moral rights
OF a single motorman are sacred.
Every constitutional lawyer apprehends
the point of the objection 10 the consti-
tutionality OF this law. apprehends also
the arguments and precedents that can
be marshalled In its support. The COM
pany owes a legal duty 10 the public I'm
return for its franchise, the employees
owe n moral duty TO the public which
employs them and has interviewed through
a law for their protection, and tho public
owes a duty. has an interest In the run
ming OF the cars and in having them run
under proper conditions. and hat the chief
responsibility, IN the last analysis, for
seeing that justice and right are done.
Such are the general principles to be
kept In view.
And public opinion should administer
government upon constitutional legal and
moral principles. We must have neither
the government of an Industrial feud-
alism, however benevolent nor the gov
ernment of labor unions however neces-
sary and useful they may be, but gov
ernment by the people. and for the
people"
II this strike is prolonged the ulterior
consequences may be momentous, possibly
for good and possibly for evil: but its
present injury will be great. Now the
constitution of Rhode Island provides
(sec. 3. Art. X) that the judges OF the
supreme court shall also give their writ
ten opinions upon any question OF law
whenever requested by the governor. OF
by either house OF the general assembly"
To such a constitutional provision there
are grave objections. and It is absent
from many constitutions. But In Massa-
chusetts and Rhode Island this provision
has been many times resorted to.
Since II exists here, let IL be used TO
end this strike. Let IL be arranged that
the governor shall announce his purpose
TO ask the judges of the supreme court
their opinion as to the constitutionality OF
the ten-hour law, and as to its legal
scope and meaning.
Then let the strike be declared off on
the single condition that the men be re-
employed. and let the strikers go back
at the old hours and wages. as a tenn
porary arrangement. Let the status quo
be restored. Then let the governor sub
NIT the questions which the law presents
10 the judges, with the request that coun-
sci for the interested parties be permitted
to be heard. Let the union and the COM
pany ask the privilege OF being heard by
counsel
The important constitutional and legal
questions at issue would be deliberately
considered and the opinion OF the judges
would have all the moral force OF a tudg
ment OF the court. If the law was sus-
tanned the ten-hour day would be estab-
lished Questions as 10 wages would re-
main. but would probably be settled with
out a strike. IL the opinion OF the court
was adverse TO the consttutlonality of
the law the men would not be without
remedy.
strike would still be open to them,
but II would not be necessary. Consti-
tutional remedies would remain, per-
fectly plain slow but sure. Public opin-
ion is the ultimate arbter and TO II all
Industrial questions should be referred.
The statesmanship OF the future will
be obliged TO find some comprehensive
plan for preventing industrial war.
IL would seem as II the present emer-
gency OF Rhode Island could be met by
the simple device OF suspending further
war until the opinion of the judges upon
the constitutionalty OF the law under
existing constitutional provisions can be
had. EDWIN G. PIERCE.
June 1ith.
INTERFERENCE WITH UNION
BUSES.
Editor Providence News:
l noticed during Buffalo Bills circus
day, the Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty 10 Animals" was particularly
wide awake I'm it's solicitude for the SUI
fering horse.
Still Il might have been borne in mind
that the public was suffering. too, and the
solicitude OF the agent Is described as op-
rressiveness by some. and others said ne
overstepped all necessary bounds, while
still others jokipgly remarked that he was
working for the Union Railroad company.
saT In tDLA