Arizona republican., 1904-03-05
pHOENIX. ARIZONA. MARCH, 5, 1904
Mark f1anra on Labor and Unionlsm.

Mark tianra on Labor and Unionisn'
 To the National Magazine of Boston inc late Senator Hanna contributed an article on socialism and labor un- ions which was probably his last piece uI writing for publica ton. This re- calls to mind that ex-Speaker Reed Hho died suddenly just as the last ses- sien of congress prior to the present one was beginning, contributed to the North American Review an article on ul,hlicity and tariff revision as possible testraints on trusts and also on tariff revision per Sc. The coincidence be- tween the two cases is striking, and so is that between these two articles and the sudden deaths of their auth ots In each case, the topic chosen is Q favorable one of the writer; the yiews expressed were held by him with an almost passionate fervor; and the article remained. although not so fore ssru. as a sort of last address to the :ubllc. .s
 Turning to the Hanna article. the prominence of the writer. lis own experience as an em- rloyer. and his activity in the civic federation to which he stated his desire to devote the remainder of his lifs), give a special interest to the views expressed. The relation between capital and labor, he says (using the pFesent tense here for Conveniencel, se&tns the paramount issue today. The right of labor to organize is abstract Iy the same as that of capital. His btan-which Is open only to the cri- ticism of being general-is 'to have organized labor Amerlcanized in the best sense and thoroughly educated to an understanding of it's responsbili- ties, and In this way to make it the ally of the capitalist rather than foe"
 If whatever is the object of approval. Or of expectation, or of hope or desire, can be called a plan, this is the plan Of every intelligent person In the country. But how Is this to be done? How is organized labor to be Ameri- Canized and thoroughly educated to understand its responsibilities? Ger Iainly not by coddling it and deferring Jt; by considering 1t as "a vote" which must be bargalned for at the price of rOn-enforcement of accountability to the law.
 To say that it is an inalienable right of every man to work, on the best terms he can get in any line open to him. is as self-evident a truth as any thing declared in a famous document Issued in Philadelphia over a century ago; the right to refuse to work stands Dn the same impregnable ground. If men choose they may intrust this na- tuFal right of choice to an organiza- lion, allowing it to decide for them as Go hours of labor, conditions and wages; they may submit to the order OA SOAlAN OutoANCl VI liCy huON nothing, and work or quit work, as he says. The wisdom or folly of doing so iE another question, but their right is Sndisputable. There, however, the 1 right ends: yet the conduct does not, | but runs into the wrongs so familiar.
 Employers are willing to take the 1 broad ground, as was notably taken l by the iron and steel companies. that | organization is an individual question; 1 that they do not wish to meddle with | it and will make no distinction be- tween union and non-union. But this | is the very thing objected to, for the | rulers of the organization insisted | upon that distinction. Many of them | say to the workman, in effect, that he | shall have no work unless he joins and | obeys the union, and to the employer | that unless he recognizes them he | shall have no men; they openly at tempt to induce him to help them | drive men into the union.
 While labor unions (says Senator | Hanna) may have been a curse to | England. I believe that they will prove | a boon to our country, when a proper | basis of confidence and respect is es- | abolished" And so do we-upon that | condition for a proper G. e.. a just | and sound) basis of confidence and re- spect implies the change in direction | of unionism towards uplifting the in- dustrial and social status of its mem- bers by uplifting their value instead | of attempting coercion. The one way | is right and practical; the other is in opposition to all the laws in the uni verse. The truth is that the socialis- tic spirit which Senator Hanna depre- cates Is aD exotic on American soil.