The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-06

States, inasmuch as the inde pendence OF
Cuba has removed q mena ce to our peace
----=--=--.:-a e. jtSss.
Personal Liberty.
IA correspondent Of the New York Times
proposes, as a means OF averting strikes,
4 plan he thinks should commend itself
to the approval OF sane men IN all rela-
lions Of life. His plan contemplat es the
enac tment of a law containing the folio W
Ing general provisions: 81
ANY one, or more representatives Of a
labor union,5 duly o ganized or otherwise,
shall have the privilege Of recommending
a strike. When so recommended under
any rules that may be desired, v the men
who are employed shall decide BY secret
ballot whether the said recommend ton
be approved or disappro II a. N a.
iority Of all employees ffected do not
vote afflrrnativcly, there shall be no strike.
The voting and balloting shall be IN
charge Of and managed by city or state
officials, In order that coercion may pc
avoided. Ballots to be as careful pre-
&pared guarded and supervised as in the
case OF voting AT State or municipal cleo
5tions. Every SAT eguard possible "A should
ba rroydcd to protect ca CHI working oman
ii the exercise OF his rights. 1t should
not be possible to detect his vote. ide
should be as free to- express MS desir e
without In flucnce or molestatlon, as WIEN sa'.
voting at Fed eral or State election. $
II is not s tated whether this should 'cLd
be "a national or "a State law, but OF
I course It would have to be q special
enactment for each State, as the Fed
eral government would have no rig'ht TO
make such 10 law for the nation. N or
would the General Assembly of ginlaf
nave the right to enact such % law for
this State. for the simplesreaso that It
is forbidden by the first sectionGof our
Bill Of ri gifts. which provides that all
men are by nature seq ually free and
independent and have certain inherent
rights. Of which. when they enter into it'c'
n state OF society. they cannot, by any
compact. deprive or dlvest their pos '!s' ter
Ity namely, the enjoyment Of life ana
liberty with the means 70. acquiring ana
possessing property and pursuing and
obtaining happiness and safety" , 5Sss#
1t is a source of constant surprise, not
to say wonder, to US that American cit
izens, who have been reared in&np Atmos-
phere Of liberty, should propose such an
absurd regulation as that Nor is this
correspondent singular In his views.
There are many persons who think that
everything should be regulated by law,
leaving nothing to the discretion and
privilege of the individual. Every Amer
lean citizen has a right to work and has
n right 10 quit work when the terms dc
not suit him, He may quit as an indi-
yidual, or an association of workmen may
quit in body. and the government has
no right under the Constitution TO inter:
fere. Deprive men OF these rights either
the right to work or tho right to Gull
work, and American liberty Will be al
an end,
The only thing that the government has
to do with II Is to see that each a l
every citizen Is protected In these anc
similar rights. When workmen quit the;
must be orderly and they must not at
tempt to interfere with others who ma,
wish to take their places, for that would
be trespnss, But the proposition that tn
government has any sort of power under
the Constitution to prevent strikes Is
proposition too absurd for serious argu
nent. We mention the incident by wa;
OF showing how absurd some men can pe
r. E--:---.--=---E
The Manoeuvres at Manassas.
The Times Dispatch has already ar
ranged to give the best possible servlc
] from Manassas. In addition to It's regu
lar Washington correspondent. Mr.. w. L
EHarrls, The .Times-D Dispatch has sent MI
| Allen Potts as a special correspondent I
follow the maneuvres In the field. MI
i Potts Is taking his two heavyweight
| hunters. Bachelor and Brunette, and Shi
own tent and equipments, He is camp
1 ing at Gainesville. and will send speca
matter drrng the manoeuIres In add
\ ton 10 that Furnished by the Associate
Press and our regular correspondent. MI
y Harris whn will be attached TO the Vii
GINA troops at Camp No !. and will Civ
all the news frc,m this quarter,
3 n -.rs55 -------- ----------- 49, r. sIy
Public Spirit and Civic Beauty,
In The Times-Dlspatch OF Sunday "
printed an Interesting article on the flor
er gardens grown from the seeds ful
nished by The Times Dispatch to ii
school children of this city, The artic
WAS written by Miss Cally Ryland, VII
: very kindly took upon herself tho ard'
S GUS service of acting onSthe committt
!. which awarded the prizes In this contes
9 The 'rimes-Dispatch Is properly graf
4 fed at the great success with which I
.! efforts for civic sbeauty We're crowns