Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-05-09
THE RIGHTS OF THE PUBLIC.

In one of the greatest cities in free
America today, there exists a condl.
ton that practically amounts to civil
war. The constitutional rights OF the
people are ruthlessly trampled under
foot, the streets are filled with rioters,
life is endangered, property is not pro-
tected and the rights of men to attend
to business and to come and go in a
peaceable manner, are outrageously
interfered with. There are two war
parties, one represented by the laborer
whose capital is his muscle and his
ability to work, and the other repre-
scented by the employer whose capital
is in property, money and business or
ganization. These two war parties are
engaged in "a war to a, finish" as both
sides have expressed it. The result
is that the innocent public is suffering
and conditions are becoming so intol-
cradle that thoughtful men are begin
ming to ask. not only what is the mat
ter, but whether or not, there is an in
herent defect in our system of govern
ment. The public is the great suf-
ferer What are the people going to
do about it?
-
The absolute right Of any man or
body of men to work or not to work
as they may desire without interfer-
ence on the part of other men with
this constitutional right and privilege
must be guaranteed if it takes
the entire army of the United States
to accomplish the result Property
must be protected from mob violence
and the right of the public to use pub
lie streets and highways for proper
purposes must be guaranteed
The laborer, whether union or non
union, has the right to work The cap
italist has the right to peaceably con-
duct his business. The public must
be protected against riot and blood
shed. The public must be secure in the
rights and privileges guaranteed by
the constitution of the United States.
But this is not all There is some
thing else that is essential in order to
prevent labor wars and armed con-
fiicts between labor organizations en-
gagged in a sympathetic strike on one
side and non-union men backed by
employers associations engaged in a
sympathetic warfare on the other side.
Today the employers are pursuing the
identical tactics of the unions. While
condemning the unions for engaging
in a sympathetic strike, the employers
in Chicago have organized an associa-
ton which is fighting the unions on a
great sympathetic basis. It is organi-
ration oooinct ofio,, Ic o,1y
wonder that this is "a fight to fin
ish?" Human nature is human nature.
The laborer who realizes that the only
capital which he possesses in his ability
to work also realizes that standing
alone he is pigmy in the hands of the
capitalists and that almost the only
means for him to secure the recogni-
ton to which he is entitled in selling
his labor is through the medium of
union organizations.
The capitalist is himself responsible
for the walking delegate whom he so
numerically condemns and berates.
The individual employee or COM
mittee of employees who have
gone to the employer with
a grievance, have SO often been met
with immediate discharge from their
positions or a threat of the same that
they have been forced to utilize the
service of the walking delegate, who
cannot be discharged by the capitalist
because he is not in his employ. The
intelligent laborer realizes his weak
ness as an individual and in spite of
all the high sounding talk on the part
of the capitalist, of his willingness to
deal fairly with his employees as indi-
viduals, the laborer knows by ex.
perience that this is the exception
rather than the rule. Hence it is that
labor unions exist and they will al
ways exist in spite of the present de-
termination on the part of the employ
ers' associations to destroy union or
CARNATIONS by counter organization
of the capitalist and employer.
What then is the public going to do
about it? What is the remedy for the
evil that is becoming SO great that it
is today a menace to the progress and
prosperity of the country. We be-
lieve that the solution of the problem
can come through compulsory arbitra-
ton. If the nineteen garment workers
in the employ of Montgomery Ward
& Co., who struck last December, and