Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-29
OF LAnnR.

No feature of the report of the An.
thracite Strike commission has received
more consideration and than
that which relates to the right of all
men to work. The commission evidently
regarded this as a most vital matter
and its view in regard to the freedom
of labor has heen very generally and
earnestly commended. It declared that
the right to RENAL at work where
others have ceased to work. or to on
gage anew in work which others have
abandoned, is part of the personal liberty
Of a citizen, that can never be surrep-
dered, land every infringement thereof
merits and should receive the stern do
nouncemeht Of the law" The report as
serts that the right of a citizen to work
when he pleases, for whom he pleases
and on what terms he pleases. cannot
he successfully denied, and saws: 'sTbe
common sense of our people. as we'll as
the common law, torbids that this right
should be assaiJ4d with impunity. II Is
vain to say that the man who remains
at work Willie others cease to work. or
takes inc place of one who has aban-
doned his work, helps to defeat the as.
pirations of men who seek to obtain
better recompense for their labor and
better conditions of life. Approval of
the object of a strike, or persuasion that
its purpose is high and noble. cannot
sanction an attempt to destroy the right
of others to a different opinion In this
respect. or to interfere with their con.
duct in choosing to work upon what
terms n at what time and for whom
1t may please them so to do"
This is a position which all intelligent
worklngmen, particularly those con.
nected with organized labor, should give
thoughtful consideration to. There ia
no doubt that IL has made a very strong
impression upon the public mind and
that 1t will be referred to injustihcatIon
of opposition to any future efforts of
organized labor to interfere with the
rights and the freedom of workingmen
who are not connected with trades
unions. 1t is a position which power
fully appeals to a vital and m
American sentiment-that sentiment
which recognizes the right Of every man
to control his own labor and to disDose
Of it in accordance with what he he
lieves to be his interest and adyantag e
That 1t will have a tendency to slim
nIafa FAILING I'm hahaIF - A.
Of labor appears TO be highly probable.
There has recently been deyeloped In
the ranks of labor a sentiment in this
direction that is very likely to grow. In
New York there has been ted
what is called the Independent Labor
League of America, among the declared
purposes of which is to protect indie
pendent workingmen In their indie.
pendence and to oppose strikes. lock-
outs, boycOtts and blacklists. At several
points I'm Indiana associations OF work.
ingmen have been formed with the
avowed object Of ~antagonizing trades
unions, insofar as they may seek 70 In
%terfere with the independence and free
dom Of %nonuniOn labor.
These are circumstances indicating a
revolt against the policy OF organized
labor which il would be well for the
trades unions to think about seriously.
A very large majority Of the working.
men Of the country are not organized.
II they should generally unite to resist
the policy OF trades unionism the latter
might be unable to survive the contest.