The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-25
DEMANDS or LABOR.

DEMANDS OF LABOR.
Tho employees Of Tho street railways live
OF San francisco hive made some re- e..
markable demands upon their employers 81 s.
.'Tl,ese demands, II ncceded to-" says nv
New York Tribune would compel the
railroad company to employ only union on
mon, and 10 discharge any man VINO LOT :
any reason might have forfeited his gooo
standing in the union. The union men
also demand Increased pay, and that no
n,nn in the employ Of the company sha''
be discharged until the union shall have
been informed ms to- the reason. Another
demand was 70 the effect that promo
lions shall be made only by the seniority
rule. BY tho operation Of this rule the
company would be deprived OF the right
to reward BY advancement q young en'-
ployc. Heroisr,, honesty, superior knowl-
edge or devotion 70 duty would count flt5i, as
nothing II there were mon on tho list
who had seen moro years Of service. ana,
oven II the older men were OF tho medi-
ocre class, their seniority IN the service
would entitle them to advancement over
tho heads OF better and more worthy
men," 5$s,5 i5 Y, II
It Is Impossible for, labor organizations
to succeed IL operated upon any such sell
fish and unreasonable principle rs this.
These demands are utterly Mt variance
with the ordinary rules Of business. but
more than that, they are utterly at vari-
ance with the fundamental principles OF
democracy, with the Fundamental prnci-
pies of the American Republic. It Is Inn
possible, we say, for any organization
founded upon such principle as the
above to succeed. 80 long as the Amerl-
can people nre true to themselves.
In this connection. It Is we'll enough
to make prominent and emphasize the
principles enunciated by the Anthracite
Strike Commission which settled the DIFF
ficulty between the mine owners OF Penn
sylyania and their men. This commits
sion was disposed to be fair to both sides
and granted the strikers concessions
which President Mitchell says are salts
fac tory. The men were given more pay
and shorter hours, but some methods
which the Atrikers pursued we're condemn
cd. Iis
'.The union must not undertake to as
sumo, or to Interfere with. the manage
ment of the business Of the employer"
That was the frst rule laid down. and
it must be rs inviolable as the law Of
the Modes and Perslans. II q man may
not conduct his own business in his own
way, SO long as he lives within the law.
then, there is an end to freedom. ID
'"rhe union should strive TO make MEM
bership in 1t so valuable MS to attract all
who are eligible, but In It's efforts TO
build itself up It must not lose sight
Of the fact that those who may think
differently have certain rights guaran-
ted them by our tree government"
That Is the second rule laid down by
the commission, and It, too, is as In
violablo as the law Of tho Medes and
Persians.
Tho contention" adds the commission,
shat majority of the employees in an
industry by voluntarily associatng them
selves in union acquire authority over
those who do not SO associate themselves
is untenable." ,$
A labor union has a perfect right to
enforce its rules against its own MEM
bcrs. II member does not like the
rulos It is HIS privilege to retire. SO long
as he remains member he must abide
by the rulos, but tho union has no right
to enforce It's rules against those who
do not belong to It. and when it does SO
1t violates the most sacred rights Of in
dlviduas.
It is most unfortunate TOR organized la-
Dor whenever labor union attempts to
trespass upon the rights Of employers
or upon the rights OF laboring men out
side the union. AS we have 80 often
remarked In these columns no organ!za-
ton Ia strong enough, whether It DO q
business corporation or a labor union
or what not, to DO wrong md prosper
for long. There must sooner or later come
q day Of reckoning with the great Ameri.
can public. The American public love
fair play. It Is their religion and the,
will not tolerate any organization which
| lives by any other creed.
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