The sun., 1903-08-17
THE Law. INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
AND TINE MOB SPIRIT.
Words OF Gold, Uttered when Most Needed.


The common business and callings Of
life, the ordinary trades and pursuits which
are innocent In themselves, and have been
followed in all communities from time
immemorial must therefore be free in this
country to all alike upon the same terms.
The right TO pursue them without let or
hinderance, except that which is applied to
all persons Of the same age, sex and condi-
ton, is a Distinguishing privilege Of citizens
of the United States, and an essential ele-
ment OF that freedom which they claim
as their birthright.
This language was used to define the
Constitutional limitations upon the Legis-
lature. but it is equally applicable to the
limitations which must. in healthful con-
dition of society, apply to individuals and
associations OF every character. The in
dividual has right to pursue any lawful
business or vocation in any manner not
inconsistent with the equal rights Of others"
and this right is not increased or dimin-
ished by the fact that he becomes member
Of manufacturers association, a labor
organization, or any other voluntary So
ciety.
The manufacturer, whether he be an
individual or a corporation. has a right
to conduct his business, to control his prop
erty, in any manner not inconsistent with
the equal rights of others. He has right
to employ such help az he chooses, being
responsible to his other employees for any
laborers, and society owes him the duty
and the obligation of protecting him in
this right against all unlawful efforts at
coercion.
On the other hand the aborer, whether
he belongs to an organization or is but a
humble covenantar in the great system,
has the absolute right to contract for his
services with whomsoever he pleases, and
the right to contract carries with 1t the right
to determine the rate OF compensation and
all Of the terms and conditions OF the en-
ployment except such as may be regulated
under the police powers Of the State and
which enter, Of necessity. into every con-
tract.
Having these rights, these being the
rights which We have mutually oovenatsd
to protect, it is the duty Of the State to
insist that they shall not be encroached
upon, either by individuals or organized
bodies of individuals, under any pretext
whatever. 1The very idea Of the power
and the right Of tho people to establish
government says Washington, "presup-
poses the duty Of every individual to obey
the established government.
All obstructions to the execution OF the
laws, all combinations and associations,
under whatever plausible character. with
the real design 20 direct, control, counter
act or to awe the regular deliberation and
action Of the constituted authorities. are
destructive to this fundamental principle
and Of fatal tendency. They serve to
organize faction. to give it an artificial
and extraordinary force, TO put in the
place OF the delegated will Of the nation
the will Of a party, often a small but artful
and entsrprising minority Of the COM
munity, and, according to the alternate
triupphs Of different parties, to make tho
public administration the mirror Of the ILL
concerted and incongruous projects OF
Faction. rather than the organ Of consistent
and wholesome plans. digestrd by common
councils and modified by mutual interests.
The laboriug man not only has a right
to contract for his services, but he has q
right to determine whether he will sell
his services to any particular individual
or corporation. He has q right, In the alb
senoe Of a contract TO the contrary, to
capriciously refuse to work for any ons;
he has right, acting without threat or
violence, TO persuade his fellow laborers to
refuse to work for any given person or
corporation, and the right which belongs
to the individual is not lost to a collection
of individuals.
The labor organization has a perfect
right TO do collectively what any of its
individual members might do that is.
It has a right to do anything for its own
welfare which is mot inconsistent with
the equal rights OF others"
The difficulty has been land time and ex-
perience will correct this evil no doubt)
that the ranks of laboring men have been
Allied up with those who have not been
trained to distinguish accurately between
their own rights and the rights of others,
and they have acted in too many instances
upon the assumption that as all organiza-
tion they had rights which they would not
have as individuals, In other words,
having the power to 60 beyond the limta-
tions fixed upon tho Individual, they have
enroached upon the rights Of others, and
this ercroachment has been resisted, at
times unlswfully, until between contending
forces, each acting outside Of its legitimate
sphere. a condition Of warfare has ex-
listed, resulting in public disturbances
and condition bordering upon anarchy
This is a manifestation Of the mob spirit
which has for its natural result the crushing
out of ipdiyidual lihartv md IL ,orpo,