Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-09-16

every child in New York will be able
to go to school a full day.-Record-
Herald.
THE "oPEN DOOR" TO LABOR.
Power is a dangerous thing wheth.
er exerted by the individual or by
err exercised by the individual or by
intoxicated by success and attempt
to force their way against public
opinion and to the Getriment of soci.
ETY. the time is ripe to call a halt.
The labor unions of the country
have now reached the pinnacle of
their strength and there are symp-
toms of a reaction, a disintegration
If not dissolution. This is due to the
fact that power has been arbitrarily
and in~judiciously exercised in many
parts of the United States. The mere
strength OF members has caused I'M
ions to exact the unreasonable and
call strikes where and when wage
earners were receiving a fair compen-
sation for their toll. Thousands have
been thrown out Of employment for
months, industrial progress checked
by millions of dollars being withheld
from investment. Not only have the
demands been arbitrary and unjust
but violence and excuses have fol-
lowed in the wake of strikes.
II would be unfair to say that all
union men favor or countenance such
things. But in strengthening their
ranks they have gathered in the ig-
norant. the vicious and the brutal in
such numbers as to threaten the sta
bility and welfare of their organia-
tions in many instances. It is use
less TO expect reason or justice from
among such.
There are fair men in all labor or
CARNATIONS. The objects of the I'M
ions are, in the main, good. Much
has been accomplished by them for
the men who toll. But it frequently
happens that they have bad and I'M
scrupulous leaders. men who are ac-
tuated by Interior motives or who are
incapable, by reason of their radical
ideas, of giving wholesome, sound add
vice. Possessed of a gift of CAB and
a little learning, they lead men to do
things which they would not do after
ralmer reflection.
Encouraged and emboldened by
their great numerical strength the lat
ter day unions have attempted to
force things into a tight box, 10 which
there is objection and a revolt. While
cOurting absolute freedom OF action
for themselves they strenuous.y de-
ny it to others. They regard the non.
union man as an enemy and would
take from him the means of a llveli.
hood. He may be as skilliui aud
more so. but he must be deprived OF
the right to earn a living unless he
joins a union. This is entirely wrong
when anything like force " coercion
is resorted to. Every man has the
natural and legal right to dispose of
his labor as he sees fit. The consti-
tuition of the United States and every
separate state guarantees and should
be persuaded that il is TO his benefit
to Join a union well and good. but
should be free. The unions have a
right 10 every gain they can make
through argument and peaceful meth
DDS; there their rights stop. So it is
with a contractor. He has the right
to employ whom he pleases and force
in preventing him can not be tolerat.
ed.
The open door" to labor has been
here and it is coming again. The on
ly correct position to take is that OF
giving both the union and the non,
union mar an equal chance to work
no discrimination being made.
On Labor day. Paul J., Mas. a writ
er in the Chicago Record Herald
speaking OF it's twenty-frst anniver
sary. pointed out some of the ele
ments that threaten organized labor
He says:
But IL is feared that most leaders,
as well as the rank and file of the
movement. have been made unable tC
note the fact that the pendulum is
swinging the other way, and that I'm
less some radical steps are taken tC
abolish many of the evils which have
obtained. particularly in the last year
the present organization will follow
the path OF its predecessors and dis
, integrate.'
The four elements the writer men
tons are as follows:
1.-THE open shop advocated by EN-
ployers' associations.
"The fight for trade supremacy be
tween the trade ~autonomists and tn