Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-11
The Striker Protests,
The protest follows:

welt. President of the United States
Honorable Sir: This labor difficulty be-
gan as Il lockout. SO far as there has
been any striking done, it has been a
strike for arbitration.
IT," unions involved are committed
both upon principle and by specific
contract with the employers for arbi-
tratiOn.
These contracts grew out of the de-
sire of the unions To protect the pub
lie peace and welfare by providing to
submit all disputes or differences of
opinion to the umpirage OF an impair
tltl tI,ird party ami accepting that de-
ciSiOn right or WrOnS-aS binding
upon both parties. Such a course is :,
guarantee of the preservation of law
md order. All that the unions ask for
OF desire in this controversy is that
an arbitration shall! be granted as spe-
officially agreed 70 in the contracts in
volved. All that is desired is that the
,,ublic officials shall join with the labor
bodies in demanding that lawlessness
shall not be allowed to be used in
forcing contracts to be broken, rs that
violence shall not be allowed to pre-
vent differences of opinion to be set
tied ny thc quiet, orderly method Of
arbitration.
tn contracts Of juno &c, 1903. pro-
vide for arbitration in the sixth, 14th
and eighth sections respectively, and
we have the written right to demand
"rhitration-a demand that has been
repeatedly spurned by the employers
in the presence of Mayor Dunno Of
Chicago.
And why spurned? Because they
openly boast that they can spurn it..
and that the troops OF the United
States commanders will shoot down
him who darcs to openly protest
against trcir action. They fatter
themselves that the sentinel army is
their ready tool t. scr upon their sug-
Ceston-rgrt ~ w:ong-and they
therefore refuse to have any inquiry
made as 20 whether they are right o.
wrong
rnry c3n now cav: There is moth
ing to arhtcatc" hit it is a boards
GniiHG should fiud there was some
tl!inG TO arhitrate public sympathy
might be too stTun" for them and they
II. ighC not be able ~ crush out union
ism once ard fnr ALL as they openly
declare they intend to do But can
they % il?
Is the army nil that these men think
il is What would a few soldiers be
against Il nation? without intending
to be discount 1ous or suggesting a
threat. We desire to call attention to
Il clear and true statement Of this fact
by General benjamin F. Butler Of
1,,- nlf,1x al
Si,cc,.il of some GO years ago to the pco-
plc Of Lowell:
'lr the workinGnen can be deprived
Of their freedom and their rights by
threats OF starvation of themselves
and their wives and children. when
they act according to the laws and
their own judgments. then they had
better be slaves indeed, having kind
masters. instead of being free men who
are only at liberty to do What their
task masters impose upon th"m. or
.;tarvc. And this question must be set
.I".! here and now.
Il know tnc power of these corpora
tons; krow many Of &c men who
have been i'll charge. They have made
a mistake in III" appeal to forces. When
that weapon is tried they are weak and
Won are strong. You are stronger than
they. You have your right arms and
your torches ana by them we will blot
out this accurscd outrage.
Gas God lives and l live. by the liv
ing Jehovah. if one man is driven from
his cmpIoyment by these men. will
lead you to make Lowell what it was
p years aGo-a sheep pasture and a
fishing place; and 1 will commence by
anplving :he torch to my own house.
of them come on us as we are not
tho acgrcssors, we seek not this awful
contest"
Peace rests not upon the militia or
thc army, but upon the patience and
long suffering Of the toiling mass. The
army. 50 far az it has any effect, is
not 10 uuict. but to disturb: ii is not
tn tcrroriZe. hut to make the people
mediate They wonder what all this
"bI,,fting" is for. Can few soldiers
scare the men who make armies and
who compose the flower of American
manhood: Are we serfS that we cringe
at the mention of troops?
If the laboriDg men are wrong. the
decision of an arbitrator without can
MOI, or club will command the obedi-
euce of every toiler affected.
Even if we are right and the arbitra-
tor decides against us, still we will
become to that decision. Then if the
decision Of one man, unarmed and
alone. can exercise this vast power,
what is the use of the sacrifice Of lives,
calling out armies and making an OPP
ora bouffe Of government? 1t is evident
hat burder has been made some
,rhere and someone should let us as
certain its source.
II is lust or is it necessary to bring
tho United States army into Chicago
II, an effort to smother the cry of the
.o;,er for arbitra ton? 1t it right or ex-
.,od;ent to attempt to stifle the demand
fnr tne settlement of controversy by
curt procedure? Is the purpose of the
army to prevent the carrying out of
s,r;t1en contracts that are open to all
&c care to read them? Can you, our
honored President, afford to use the