The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-15
APPEAL
MUST Be
TO JUSTICE
The Discussion on Big
Social Questions.
THE TRUSTS AND
LABOR UNIONS
Arc Alike in Motive and OBJ
ject. Says MIR. Anderson.
PRESIDENT ELIOT
ONE OF THE SPEAKERS
He Says There is No Objection to the
incorporation Of Labor Unions, If
They Desire Incorporation, but
that It Should Not Be
Forced Upon
Them.
PRESIDENT ELIOT
ONE OF THE SPEAKERS
fBy Associated Press. /,

BOSTON, MASS, NAV I.-The gene
raj meeting Of 1903 OF the American
Social Science Association began here
to-day. George Fl. Anderson, member
Of the Suffolk County (Mass.) Bar, spoke
on Some Responsibilities OF Capitalistic
Organization" He said that the labor
organizations have no moral standing
TO denounce trusts. for their movement
Is as distinctly a combination or trust
as is the capitalistio movement. The
two movements are alike In motive and
object.
TN the contest as 1t Is now carried on
between these two opposing forces, 1t Is
obvious that there are at least two main
desiderata-hrst that the parties to tho
contest should become SO nearly equal
in real and apparent power that each
may come to respect the other, to the
end that an equilibrium approxtmating
justice may result The organization OF
labor is an absolute condition precedent
under present conditions to any sound
social and Industrial progress. To OPP
pose that organization, to attempt 70
prevent it by legislation, or to dcnounce
it in terms recently used at the Manu-
facturcrs' Association. at New Orleans,
is both futile and foolish.
RESPECT FOR Law.
'The second desideratum Is that there
should be an increased respect for law
and for justice on the part OF both labor
and capital, The final appeal must be to
Justice"
'.Under our law permitting the private
ownership not only of the Turface Of the
land, but OF all minerals and metals be-
meath the surface. he said the coal and
iron supply OF the country would soon
be under monopoly. Tho condition OF
the ownership and control OF the anthra-
cite coal supply, he contertled. was Just
cause for revolutionary sentiments and
activities. In the last generation, he de-
clared, the legislation OF the country had
been mainly controlled by capital, and IN
not few OF the States the sale OF legis-
lation was regular business. In con-
clusion Mr.. Anderson sa1d
.tIf capital fails to recognize the neces-
sty of just laws. respected and obeyed.
i may expect little mercy at the hands
Of Its adversares when they discover
their real power. If socialism comes. the
main responsibility will rest upon the
capitalistic organizations"
Lewis D. Brandeis. a lawyer, and Pro-
fessor Eugene Wambaugh, Of the Ear-
ward Law School, discussed trade union
Incorporation, the former favoring 1t, and
the latter saying 1t would be "unconstitu-
tional, Inappropriate and dangerous
INCORPORTION.
President Eliot, of Harvard. summarized
the question OF the Incorporation OF the
trades unions in the statement that II
they wanted It there seemed to be no OBJ
lection. and If they did not want 1t there
was no objection. There was, however,
an objection to the imposition OF money
penalty, and this whole talk OF incorr-
poratlng trades unions was fairly at
tributable to a desire to get at them
and impose fine or collect damages
1T must be noted" said Mr.. Eliot,
'that the activities of trades unions In
volye only moral responsibilities. The
positions OF the unions is virtually that
Of 100000 men who Systematically per-
init moral and physical violence in the
attainment Of their ends in the lirnita-
ton of output. than which there is no
more curruphns or degrading influence
"Unskilled laborers cannot gain their
aims in a labor struggle. without per.
hitting violence. but this is n moral
question and not one of damages. To
attempt to get at them vndlctiyely. by
Inducing or compelling Incorporation and
making them financially liable. Is not at
all the way to settle the problem"