The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-05-09

1SoW d. "oiu Of TWO regarding the OIL
ference between a strike and war.
In war there Is no arbiter Of the con-
illicit, there are no rules except those
elf-imposed under the public opinion Of
the world, and those, we know, are
shifting and unreliable Property may
be destroyed, even that of non-combat-
ants. The country may be laid waste;
treachery is allowed. In a strike, on
the other hand, there is an arbiter of
the conflict, the government. The rules
Of battle are laid down in the laws.
Both sides must and ought to abide by
these rules, otherwise a greater wrong
is done than any which can have
brought on the conflict. In fact, in Ia
Dor relations, both sides break the rules.
Employers combine, regardless of the
law, neglect to protect machinery, ne
glect room regulations, willingly join
the parents in hiring children under
age In times Of strike their hired
police forget that it is their duty to
keep the peace, and at times incite to
violence.
The workers commit these acts and
IN time of strike often commit violence.
In such violations Of law the workers,
as a rule, lose most. The upholding Of
government and order is a need espe-
cially of the weak. In the Middle Ages
the feudal was above the law, was
law to himself the weak had no rights
The establishment of stable government
has been in the interest of the poor; the
establishment of popular government
means government for all by all. The
progress Of civilization has been
marked by the abolition of the VEN
delta, private vengeance. Before the
establishment Of stable government, the
individual had to right his own wrongs;
now the State rights his wrongs.
Doubtless there are abuses to-day: the
State sometimes neglects it's duty; the
weak are wronged; SO are the strong.
The remedy is through peaceful agita-
ton, by showing clearly that the wrong
exists. When the issue is clear, the
masses, our lawmakers, are always in
my judgment, on the side Of right. on
the side Of order. Order under law is
absolutely fundamental In any civil
lzation it is the first condition of good
status of the poor. No one, least of all
the laborers, can afford to question that
principle. Better lose a dozen strikes
than to appear On the wrong side Of the
question. The police properly used are
to keep order; they are not for either
side of any social conflict. The militia
is for order only, not for either side.
The army is for order under law at the
command Of chosen government. The
one condition of social progress is law;
the one methodist change is by reason,
--:t ,. :. .
We havesourI "a rbiterss .for#our social
contests; we properly zfig ht,*sswe
must fight, for Dir Il hts= ii many cases,
but we must Hight under law, with the
government as. umpire. In war you
may at times ignore the umpire, for the
public opinions Of the world is very in
difinfte an dslow in action. Within the
State, if you ignore the umpire, the
government, YOU put yourself out of the
game.
think it is worth while to ask the
question whether it ever pays a labor
union to commit deeds of violence in
order to keep the strike breakers away
and thus to win the strike?
I ask the question because I have
heard it asserted many times. I have
heard it asserted in reference to the
late coal strike that the one condition
Of success was that the union intimi-
date the non-unionists. In my judg-
ment it is not true; but if it were true,
even then, from the point of view of the
union, the worst possible course of ac-
ton that could be taken would be to
violate the law, because, as I said be-
fore, the fundamental condition of all
progress, especially for the weak, is in
keeping the law: When the law is
wrong it should be changed. We have
heard to-day how powerful the trades
unions are in changing the law. Any
one who looks at the statute books
KNOWS very we'll that much of the pro-
gressive legislation Of the last few
years is due to the power Of the trade
unions. The unions might better lose
a strike and wait year or two or even
more (as the employers mighty to get
proper, just legislation, than to violate
the law. That act puts them out Of
court.
Just one word more. Loyalty means
devotion to the law. Loyalty to family,
loyalty to class, is only fgurative. The
preservation of the family, the advance
ment OF class interest, whatever class,
can come only under stable government.
The consequence is that the only true
loyalty to either family or class is
through, first, loyalty to the govern
ment. The man, the organization, rich
Or poor, labor union or corporation.
that stands for law as it is and for i'm
provement only by legal means, wins
In the long run, for whatever conditions
may be desirable (short of armed rev.
olution,> justitiable only in extreme
need) the one indispensable condiaion
OF all progress, especially for the week,
is the supremacy of the government
order under law.
A strike is not war. 1t is a conflict
under government. Any attack. direct.
or indirect, upon the government, ex-
cept to reform it, since order is essen:
tial to growth, is morally as wen as
legally wrong. In the past both sides,
both capital and labor, have sinned III
this regard. Capital has probably
sinned most before the strike, labor
most in time Of strike Both have com
mittad Grim ae Il ~ ~ IS, ~, :, -,