The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-06-25
LABOR TROUBLES DISCUSSED.
Nov. 20. 1893.

Intermountain Catholic:
| read with much interest your able editorial
last week on the strike in Colorado; and while
admire the sentiments YOU express | do not entirely
agree with you in their application in this case
As [ understand the situation there it IS briefly,
this
union is formed among workmen, for their
mutual protection. Some of the workmen join this
union and some do not. Later, the union, by
lorIIy vote, orders a strike Some of the members
Of the union vote against the strike, and in ia
for OF continuing work. Those who DO not belong
TO the union want TO continue to work. When the
STRIKE IS ordered, all of the union quit work.
They have a right to do this Their fellow work
men, who are not members of the union, continue
to work. They have right to do this. The union
men, however, forbid their working. The union
men claim the right, not only to quit work them
selves but 10 compel their fellow workmen to quit.
Then the trouble begins. The non-union men,
peaceablv engaged in their daily occupation, are
followed 10 and from their work assaulted, beaten
and in many cases killed, sometimes even in their
homes and in the presence of their families.
This trouble increased to such an extent that the
local authorities were utterly unable or unwilling
10 suppress it and the governor Of the state was
appealed to.
The employers were not cndeavoring to compel
the union men to 90 10 work. The employers rec
ognized the right OF the union men to quit work
II thcs saw fit The fighting and Tioting was be-
tween the workmen themselves. On the one hand
], the union, strong aud powerful in It's organiza-
ton. and ou the other is the individual workman
who asks simply to be allowed to work 10 support
bis family the wages offered satisfactory to
HIM. The hours satisfactory, he Is satisfied with
his employer and his employer Is satisfied with him.
But ms fellow workman who belongs to the union
steps up and says: y GU shall not work without
my permission; you arc not free to make your
contract with your employer. You are not getting
wages enough TO suit me; you are working too many
hours day TO suit me- and therefore you must
quit work or | viii kill YOU" That has been the
struggle in Colorado-the attacks of union strikers
upon nou-union mon who continued to work. Your
own words fit this ease SO admirably that take the
liberty of quoting Them
If there is any thing which is dear to the
American heart, il is liberty. Where ones liberty
is taken away. his life endangered by starvation
and his right the pursuit of happiness violated
there must be something rotten"
Those non-unlon men were, TO quote from your
article again, honestly and sincerely fighting for
their rights" Ifyou were the governor Of the state
and condition Of affairs III certain county
where one SET of workmcn was using violence to
prevent another set of workmcn from earning their
daily bread by honest toll where the county officials
were utterly unable to preserve order. and where
bloodshed and murder were daily occurrences what
would you do. Would you, in the name of freedom
allow such outrages TO continue, or would YOU use
the strong arm of the military to suppress them
a labor union is not necessarily right, and
non-umon laborer Is not necessarily wrong. A man
does not forfeit his right 10 life liberty and the
pursuit Of happiness" because he refuses to join
labor union. lie has the right to decide for him
self whether he viii join a labor union or not, and
if be elects not to join he has the right to make
his contract of employment and, by his honest
toll support himself and his family. 1t is the duty
Of the government to protect him in these rights,
DO matter at what cost for otherwise there is no
real liberty.
No one questions the right of worunen to organ
claim the right not only to protect themselves. but
10 dictate arbitrarily to their fellow workmen they
are infringing upon the liberty of others. One
mans liberty ends whore another's begins" The
labor unions of Colorado proceeded on the theory