New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-28
LIBERTY AND TRADE UNIONS.

LIbERII AMI TRADE UAIOAS.
The discussion of President Elots views on
liberty at the dinner Of the Industrial Economic
Department Of the National Civic Federation
on Tuesday evening brought out some interest
ing defenees OF organization by capital and
labor and some attractive pictures Of that bet
ter day Of large leisure, comfort and intell-
genee for wage earners which, without doubt
most Of the labor leaders sincerely seek to
reach. But it was curiously aside from the
question at issue. The gentlemen who replied
to President Eliot seemed not to grasp his
point; certainly they did not speak to it. In
stead they Valiantly attacked and successfully
overthrow whole regiments Of men of straw
President Eliot, as we understand. did not op-
pose labor unions or question the good they
have done or may continue to do. The liberty
he was concerned for was not the liberty vol
UNFAIRLY surrendered by the wage Garner in en-
tering an association to work in harmony with
others for the common good. The liberty he
asked for was liberty for the citizen whether
wage Garner or consumer. to live untrOubled by
an externally imposed monopoly. He objected
to the tyrannical exercise of power by trusts,
whether Of capital or of labor, to deprive the
great body of the people of that liberty Of op-
portunity, that freedom TO buy and sell as they
viii which has hitherto been characteristic Of
America and great moving cause of Ameri-
can inventveness. efficiency and wealth
Mr.. GOmpers attributed, and we believe justly,
TO the labor unions a wonderful improvement
in the lot of wage earners. Well might he ask,
as an abstract proposition if the liberty Of the
individual workman TO work twelve and four
teen hours a day at starvation wages was
precious heritage for which he should sacr1-
fee the privilege of working eight hours at
good wages as a mere unit in a labor organiza-
ton. But that was quite beside the mark No
body disputes the right of workmen to asso-
eiate and give up voluntarily a measure Of
freedom which is theirs to surrender But have
they the right to confiscate the freedom of other
people in the mere ruthless prosecution Of in
dustrial war? 1t was not trade unionism. but
the abuses Of trade unionism which President
Eliot criticised. Instead Of admitting those
abuses and seeking to correct them or main
tanning that they were not abuses, Mr.. Com
pers and his fellow speakers devoted them
selves to something entirely different. Proba-
bly, in their zeal they do not realize those
abuses and thus construe criticism as an at
tack upon organization itself. But they should
not let themselves be blind to the fact that the
extravagant pretensions of many labor union
lists and many trust magnates raise serious ap-
prehensiOn among patriotic citizens, thorough
ly sympathetic to the betterment of labor con-
ditions and also TO the inevitable consoda-
ton OF industries. lest between the two forces
the rights and liberties of the majority Of the
people be ignored, as the Chlnaman is ignored
in bis own land by the rival armies Of Russia
and Japan.
The union assumption in some quarters Of
hostility to the National Guard has been dis
quieting. II suggested purpose to organize
wage earners into a sovereign body indepen-
dent of and even above the State. The at
tempt to force the United States government
10 forget the equality Of all citizens before the
law and secure a labor unions permission to
employ a printer heightened that impression
The advocacy Of the closed shop doctrine in
general which means shutting the door Of en-
ployment on every man who, however foolish
ly. prefers independence TO union fellowship is
a movement against the first principle Of indi-
yidual liberty, the right Of a man 10 earn his
own living in his own way. II all workers In
a trade wish TO associate and make common
labor contracts, well and good. Mr.. Gompers
does not need TO argue that His attention
should be given to the boycott and the insolent
demand that work done by somebody perchance
not IN good union standing be torn down at
great expense 20 the employer before Job can
be continued-an example Of which we saw not
long ago in our own City Hall-and other ex-
cesses OF the same sort. These are the things
which do not seem TO many citizens to be con-
sistent with individual liberty, which is properly
regulated by the State for the common good, but