The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-07

Il M Il dependent employer who has been
successfully fighting organized
ES2Cd labor for more than a decade,
- and who has radical views as to
labor and capital. 1 refer 10 Maj. Gen
Harrison Gray Otis. the editor and chlef
owner of the Los Angeles Times, one OF the
great newspaper properties OF the Tar vest
General Otis has edited the Times for more
than a quarter of a century; he mas en-
ployed all sorts of labor. and in 1880 his OF
flee was filled with union men. They MADE
certain demands which Otis refused 10
grant They struck. and otis, whose edu-
cation in fighting began with four years IN
our civil war. fought back. He filled his Of
flee with nonunion men. He was bOycotted'
but he continued TO fight. and mas been
fighting ever since, taking only one vaca-
ton, during which he was brigadier gen.
eral in the Philippines. and on the firing
line at the time of our Spanish war.
My first question was as to labor condi-
lions on the Pacific slope. General Otis re-
piled:
In southern California, where live. we
have 10 a large extent industrial freedom.
We are comparatively free from strikes,
and as a result perhaps, we are growing
more than any other part of the State. We
are building railroads, pumping oil. getting
out minerals, and becoming rich. 1t is dill
ferent in San Francisco. The labor situa-
tion there is bad, and serious disturbances
have been going on for long time. The
effect has been to paralyze Industrial &C
tivity, cripple commerce, and restrict manu-
features The losses amounted into the
millions. and the greatest losses have been
felt by labor itself. because least able to
frflr
colts and frequent acts of industrial vio-
lence, owing to the domination of the
unicns, and men have been prosecuted.
beaten, MANNED and murdered for refusing
to do their bidding"
THE TRADES UNIONS.
what do you think of the growth Of the
unions? VIII they ever control the labor
OF the country"
II think not. They constitute only
small percentage of all the toilers, and the
law-abiding majority will never surrender
to the too-often lawless minority. 1t can
not do so in the very nature of the case.
Industrial freedom is as sacred as personal
freedom, political freedom or religious free
dom. My position Is that every citizen has
the lawful right to pursue, undisturbed and
unhampered. any lawful occupation in a
rsh, NV WAY anb 20 pe Of tSe
ment II need be
This is warranted by the Constitution
and the law. and nothing less than this will
serve. As to the growth of the trades
unions that would not be menace to the
country IL their tendencies were not so UNI
reasonable and monopollstlc as many Oh
them have been in recent years have
never opposed unions as such, but only
their tendency toward lawleSSnesS. As they
are to-day, their domination would paralyZe
industry and be an intolerable despOtism.
The right not TO join unions is as sacred as
the right TO join them, and it is not for one
class of citizens TO say what another class
shall or shaq not do in this regard
mo your idea of the labor situa-
ton, General OTIS
1T Is abnormal threatening, bad!' was
the reply. 1T is a serious drawback to the
progress of the country. The remedy lies
I'm the enforcement of the laws as they
stand. We don't need new legislation, but
we must enforce the existing laws. The
fundamental right of independent labor
must be preserved. and the liberty of all
workmen be protected. If ii is not, all will
suffer together, and the laboring classes
most What labor needs is to be protected
from itself"
asked.
II mean that organized labor has so far
drifted from the right lines that IL is now
unorganized labor. which Ii is wickedly at
tempting TO crush. Capital Is not the nat
ural foe of labor organized or unorganized;
but organized labor is lighting not only the
employers, upon whom IL must depend for
wages but also all other classes of labor.
greatest enemy that labor has. and it is
at the same time menace to the coun-
try"
HOW 1T FEELS TO BE BOYCOTTED.
Give me some of your own experiences
IN labor matters. How does 1t feel to be
boycotted?''
1T is not pleasant" replied General Otis.
"but one would feel worse as a slave. 1
will not deny that we were annoyed by the
boycott, but believe we made money by 1t.
and above all, we retained our own self
respect as men and as Americans. The
story of our trouble began thirteen years
ago, when we were confronted by sense
less strike in the Los Angeles Times office.
The men in our composing rooms then
walked out without any adequate cause or
provocation. They crippled the office tenn
porarily. but refused 10 yield and stood
fast against the boycott which was ut once
instituted. Our business was injured some
what for the first few months, and l might
say for the first year. Nevertheless, the
earnings of the paper slowly but steadily
increased. and after the first year they in
creased rapidly We refused to restore the
strikers. We dened the boycott and
spurned the boycotters. The people appre-
ciated our action, and the prosperity of the
paper has been confessedly great. AS IL is
now we pay the highest wages to our
skilled and faithful workmen, and we have
disbursed more than million and half
gold dollars for labor since the day we de-
feated that senseless and wicked strike"
What. in n nutshell. are the rules which
should govern in the relations of employ
er-s and employees / asked.
I'm nutshell replied General Otis,
s'they are faithfulness, fidelity and devotion
10 duty on the one hand; good Will, fair
wages. reasonable hours and good treat
ment on the other hand. and fair play on
both. without unwarranted interference by
outside persons organizations not prop
erly concerned in the affairs of either
workman or employer
Il worker myself, continued Gen.
eral Otis, "and L maintain the right of my
fellows TO work and to make independent
contracts with their employers. / should
like 10 see every worthy man and woman in
fair wages and at regular, steady work
Hirh wages for short and irregular periods
give less money in the course OF year than
continuous employment at a more moderat e
yet fair rate OF pay. l believe that IN
der right and free conditions in the labor
market IL Is possible for every competent
workman in the country TO have work FOR
30 days In the year, and be paid accord
ingly.
what do you mean by right conditioner
/ asked.
tween the employer and his men are mu.
tuaIly satisfactory. Such relations should
prevail whether the labor is skilled or un.
skilled organized unOrganized. NEAR
that the workman should have good wages
that his family should be we'll nourished
we'll clothed and we'll housed, and at the
same time have enough for health. educa
ton and recreation. Such conditions are
for the welfare and contentment Of The
people and boon TO the State"