The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-24
FOR UNION Incorporation.
ARGUMENTS ON THE LABOR BILL
IN CONNECTICUT.
seEstev Tracy sa,s Labor should - In.
cerporated ana Made TO Pay Ter Wrsng.
va sioing--Deuounces Present STRIKE
Methods - un.American and Unjust.

cerporated and Made 10 Payfsr Wrsng.
"a sioing--Dcuounces Present btrike
Methods - un.American and UnJSRt.
HARTFORD, Conn.,. April 2s.-Before the
Labor Committee Of the General Assembly
there was a hearing to-day on the Tracy
bill. for the incorporation Of trades unions.
In arguing for the measure Senator Tracy
Of Waterbury said:
Il would not abridge the legal or moral
rights OF any man be he employer or en-
ployee, but / would restrict and restrain
combinations Of capital or combinations
Of men under whatever name, who would
undertake to interfere with the God given
rikhts OF an indieidual TO earn his living at
price that may he agreed upon between
himself and his employer
II am not antagonistic to organized labor;
labor has an good right to organize for the
mutual benefit OF it's workers as has capital,
but II must use peaceful and legal methods,
methods that are just, methods that are
fair.
Can the methods used In some Of the
strikes Of any magnitude. In this or other
States, during the past year be classified
as peaceful or legal strikes' think not.
Coercion. boycott. violence, intimidation.
destruction Of property and In some cases
murder has been done. But 1t ia claimed
that these unlawful. un-American meth
DDS are not union methods. but all this
comes from our sympathizers.' The wild
incendiary exhortations Of some of the
leaders incite others to commit dastardly
deeds for which they arc indirectly re-
sponsiblc. .,.,..
.If they would avoid this responsibility,
they must use and advise the use OF legal
methods, restrain, and not incite ire
sponsible members or sympathlzers.
'Now a word about the bill. Its purpose
In not to wrong any man. not 20 restrict
any man In his legal or moral rights. It's
purpose IL to help. not to hinder prosperity.
It advises incorporation. 1t does not make
IL mandatory. II Incorporation u de-
sirable for large aggregations OF capital.
why should il not be advantageous to large
bodies Of workmenl IL Incorporated capi-
tai IL responsible before the law for It's acts,
why not incorporated labor and why should
not both pay the penalty for wrong doingI
section o relates to violence, threats,
intimidation, boycott. attempt TO prevent
the employment Of a person in any place
made vacant by laborers or workmen IN
so-called strike. These methods are SO
unfair. 70 un-Amerc8n, 40 despcabio TO
every fair minded man that ] cannot con-
ceivc how any man who believes ia doing
unto others as he would he done by could
say one word In protest against this Sec
ton.
/. Section 10 is in the interest Of public
health and safety. 1t would prevent q
strike on n public corporation engaged In
the operation of a railroad. trolley road
gas or electric light company.
THE necessity Of this has not been ap,
parent to the State Of Connecticut, but had
The strike on the New York. New Haven
and Hartford Raj road materialized and had
IL lasted one month, / believe people would
have been starving because no food could
be brought. There would have been none
TO he Obtained.
1T is not the intention of this section to
deprive an individual Of his rights to quit
work, but to prevent a simultaneous cessa-
ton OF labor by all the employees OF pub
DC corporation, thereby endangering the
health and safety OF whole community
Riot, or any acts by an individual, or any
organization that tends to incits riot or
the destruction Of property. can never
Be tolerated in this free country
State's Attorney W. H. Williams Of New
Haven county spoke for the bill. He said
the man who considered the trades union
ss above and higher than the law OF the
and might oppose this Tracy bill, but such
mep. the speaker said, must b few In mum.
Der. The provision requiring thirty days
notice Of . strike on any public service
corporation was, to his mind, wise ana
judicious and in the interests OF the public.
The section providing puniehment for those
who melted and encouraged acts Of violence
was in line with existing statutes.
Mr.. Williams said that II had been asserted
that the unions were stronger than the
Government. He didn't believe II. Al
present free American citizens who were
strike breakers were not safe upon the
public streets.