The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-28
PARRY PRODS UNIONS
He Shows How They Trample on thu
Liberty of the Indi-
vidual.

vidual.
New York July 28.-Labor and adver-
Using were the themes discussed by the
Furniture Association OF America at last
nights session of It's annual convention
The principal address Of the evening was
made by David M. Parry Of Indianapolis,
Ind. president of the National Associa-
ton Of Manufacturers.
Parry spoke on the necessity for a ma
tional organization of employers, which
would be representative of all employing
interests. "Who can take note Of the fire.
quent violations" said the speaker. ''of
the rights OF free labor and free contract,
without earnestly wishing there might be
some means whereby the present ways
of socialistic and anarchistic impulse can
be checked. In the philosophy OF union
ism there is no such thing as natural law
shaping the destinies or the race and
organized labor appears to lose sight OF
the difference that exists between 1ndl-
viduals. One might as we'll try to make
ugly men handsome, and vice versa, as
to try to equalize the mental inequalities
of the race, and long as one man is
better endowed by nature than another,
just so long will there be an unequal dis
tribution Of wealth. The existence OF
organizations in the field whose work all
tends to undermining Of the pillars of
the government calls for the creation Of
as strong counter organization as can
be built up"
Organized labor, the speaker said. was
laying claims to rights of sovereignty
that have not often been exercised by
the most despotic governments. Its en-
tire warfare was being conducted for the
purpose Of compelling the country to &C
knowledge that it possesses the right to
say CD that no man shall work without
its consent, and CD no industry shall be
operated without it's consent He cited
a number Of. strikes for the purpose or
Illustration, and then said: The usurpa-
ton Of such powers by irresponsible and
ignorant men bids fair to bring about
such unbearable conditions that a crisis
sometimes seems fast approaching IN
which it will be decided whether this
country shall be handed over to the aS1-
tators or whether the latter shall be rele-
gated to the oblivion Of private existence,
discredited and poWerless to work further
evil Already you can discern the handl-
work of the compromiser, who calling
himself a pea cemaker. seeks to nave the
country grant to organized labor par
tial recognition of those rights Of SOW
ereignty which 1t asserts. Many men
in public life appear to believe that COM
lfttcal wisdom, but in my humble opinion,
this country Is either going to have 1ndt-
vidual freedom or 1t Is not. Therefore the
logical and vital necessity Of a counter
organization to that Of organized labor,
for the purpose of correcting public
| thought, giving moral support to public
men who want to do what they know to
be right. without endangering their polit-
ical life, for the defending of the consti-
fr+{ I'D for no a. ~
dustrial welfare and consequently the
happiness of the whole people.
Parry then cited the proposed inYestt-
CATION and publicity bill as an indication
Of what he regarded as the dangerous
drift Of public thought, In this country.
being that Of governmental investigation
of labor difficulties thru commissions ap-
pointed by the president. .s
"A more atrocious piece Of legislation
said the speaker. has not been suggested
for some time. The bill ostensibly asserts
the superior sovereienty Of the govern
ment over the sovereignty claimed by
organized labor, but by implication 1t
recognizes the right Of the unions to shut
down factories and TO deny to men the
natural right to work. 1t goes further.
It provides means whereby the govern
nent can supplement the efforts Of the
unions. The unions say that they possess
ILQe WISDOM TO 1lx the, Tdte OIL wages .OlI-
hand; but the bill says, In effec., that this
| Is not scientific: that 1t should be first
ascertained whether the proposed wage
would bankrupt the employer. The logical
results Of such legislation would be the
| multiplication Of the demands OF organ
lied labor, and as public opinion would
not be able to bring its force to bear or
all cases, it would be but the precursor
Of compulsory arbitration, for when the
concentrations of the commissions
proved ineffective. the government would
be asked to step In to compel their en-
fOrCement AS an entering wedge for So
cialism the publicity bill would serve very
we'll"
| Parry then turned his attention to Aus
tralasia, as an example Of what it means
for country to embark upon social ex-
periments designed to evade natural Law
and to destroy individual rights for the
supposed benefit Of all
He pointed out that the public debt pei
capita in Australia was S263.90 and in New
these figures to the s12.27 per capita in.
| debtedness of the United States. The
speaker declared that emigration into
| New Zealand had practically ceased, and
that its birth rate is only a slight frac
ton higher than it was in 1890 And yet
said he, this is the boosted country with:
out strikes, the home of compulsory arbi
tration. land tax and I don't know what
all The prophecy is freely made that i,
is rushing headlong into bankruptcy de-
spite all Its efforts to lift itself by it.
boot straps, as it were, into the millen
mum. ...*
The claim is made that organized labor
does not sympathize with crime and VIC
lence. Suppose that the Catholic church
or the Masons or the Odd Fellows should
commit four murders to advance the al
legged purposes Of their organiza ton
What wave Of protest would go up. Ye
the agitators take pride in the fact tina
they won the anthracite strike and onl,
four men were ambushed and murdered
tator Parks Of New York city. This mar
has been indicted and thrown into prison
on the charge Of bribe- taking and extor
! ton but ORGANIZED labor triumpha ntl,