Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-06-22
PHOENIX. ARIZONA. JUNE %. 1903.
Mormons and Strikes.


One Of the most valued and interest
ing of the contemporaries coming
10 the exchange table OF The Republi-
can is the Deseret Evening News OF
Salt Lake City. not n church paper
within the meaning of the term, yet
the principal organ in the world of the
Mormon church.
In the latest issue which has reach
ed the office of The Republican is an
article. q leading editorial by Joseph
F. Smith under the head of THE Strike
Craze" The editor of the News COM
menting upon it says:
at is SO timely, and bears out so
fully the sentiments on the subject OF
labor unions and strikes that nave
been expressed in these columns, tnat
we copy it in full, and commend II to
the attention of all thoughtfu! work
men, and especially TO Latter-day
Saints who are entangled with societies
that endanger human liberty, or VINO
contemplate becoming connected there
with"
Mr.. Smith finds justification for call
ing the present industrial mania
strike craze" in the great frequency
OF those disturbances and in their trlv-
ial causes. The restlessness of labor
ers. he believes, has grown out of tha
unusual prosperity of the country.
There is a spirit of dissatisfaction
which is quite apart from any definite
causes. The conduct of the dissatisfied
he finds is in many instances irrecon-
ella BILE with spirit of reason or COM
mon justice.
The formation of the unions, he be-
lieves, had for its object in the first
place the protection of the skilled la
borers of a certain class. Now they
have become banded together in fed
Grafton embracing classes of laborers.
skilled and unskilled, who can have no
reasonable sympathy with each other.
Some OF the declarations have become
heterogeneous mass which can possibly
have no common ground of action. 1t
Is, for instance. possible now for dis
satisfied italian working on the streets
OF New York to precipitate a strike
which may tie up any one of; or all the
industries OF the country.
1t frequently happens, Mr.. Smith
finds, that strikes are sometimes preci-
plated by quarrels among the unions
themselves; even none of them have
grievance against their employers.
OF the unreasoning effect of some Of
the strikes he gives the following in
stance:
I'm one of the cities of Ohio, a funer-
al was interrupted because a non union
man was driving the hearse. In New
Haven union men refused to dig
grave because a non-union undertaken
was asked TO conduct the funeral. In |
the same city, people felt the necessity
of asking their friends who were in
tending to be present at the funeral
not to come in non-union hacks. These
are a few illustrations which indicate
the irrational spirit that is now too
frequently governing the strikers"
Having gone at great length into the
subject of the labor unions and their
effect upon society he admonishes the
members of the Church of Latter-day
Saints as follows:
The unions are forcing our people
utude when they compel Later day
Saints within the union to make war
upon their brethren who are without
the union, and thereby denying the
most sacred and God-given rights of
one class of Saints that another class
may gain some advantage over a third
person, their employer Such conduct
is destructive OF the liberty which ev-
cry man is entitled to enjoy, and will
lead In the end to the spirit of conten-
tion and apostasy.
1T IS not easy to see how the Latter
day Saints can endorse the methods of
modern labor unions. As a people we
have suffered too much from irrational
class prejudice and class hatred to par
ticipate in violent and unjust agita-
tions. No one denies the right of la
borers to unite in demanding a Just
share Of the prosperity of our country,
provided the union is governed by the
same spirit that should actuate men
who profess the guidance OF a Chris |
tian conscience.
There is one method of warfare ex-
hibited in some of the unions that is
repugnant to everything that is honor
able I'm the conduct of men. 1t is that
sort OF guerrilla warfare by which
both capital and public convenience
are subjected. without warming and
without right. to the attack of men in
ambush who hope to gain a victory
over capital whether just or unjust by
forcing employers into surrender and
losses, or humiliation brought about
by temporary surrender to convenience
rather than to right and Justice In
the end, sound public sentiment will
surely condemn those methods, which
set in motion forces that carry destruc-
ton and human suffering IN their train
without regard or consideration for
those upon whom the unhappy conse-