The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-03-31
STRIKE Of: # BIG SIX"
IN NEW YORK CITY
New York Printers Engaged in
the Eight Hour Day
Contest
Judge Caldwell of United
States Circuit Court on the
"Open Shop"

On January 2, 1906 some fifty men,
New YORK city, employed in the
Methodist Book concern in this city,
were locked out by the publishing
agents, Revs. Eaton & Mains, because
| they had requested that their hours
| to forty1eight hours per week. Most
| Of these men had been employed in
this esta blishment for ten and fifteen
years, some of them almost half a.
century. Nearly all had families to
support, and it is hardly necessary to
| the action of publishing agents.
Had the Methodist Book concern
! acted Independently in the matter there
would be less ground for criticism But
| the facts are that for a number of
years Messrs. Eaton & Mains have
| been members of the Typothetae Of
the City of New York, an organiza--
year began a collection Of a fund for
the avowed purpose Of waging war on
the Printers Union.
It seems strange that all the relig-
| ious esta blishmentsin this city employ
| ing members Of our Union, the Meth
| odist Book concern is the only one
| which refuses to grant the shorter
| workday. Among the more than two
| hundred employers who have con-
| cede the request are the publishers
| of ''The Churchman,' the Christian
| Herald" 1.-THE Catholic News" The
Volunteer Gazette" THE War Cry
and the American Bible Society: The
CATE are found associated with the
! publishers of Town Topics" osten-
sibly fighting for the "open shop"
| but in reality against the shorter
workday. Town Topics and other
notorious Mann publications are
printed by William Green, president OF
the Typothetae.
and the Typothetae for the open
Shop" we quote the following by
Judge Caldwell of the United States
Circuit Court:
I'm this country the right Of wage
earners to associate together and act
| collectively is not boon granted by
the government. It is not derived
from the constitution. statutes or Ju-
dicial decisions. 1t antedates the
J Constitution. 1t is a natural and in
herent right. 1t is the natural weap-
on Of weakness.
1.-THE right of men to combine to-
gether for lawful purposes necessarily
carries with it the right to combined
action. Of what utility is the organ
ization without the right of collective
action? Collective action is implied in
the very term, 'organization,' Organ
cation has no other object. Man, by
nature is a social being. Association
, and collective action by those having
common interests for their protection
and material moral and mental i'm
provement is natural instinct.
1.-THE idea of the power of men in
association has always been abhorrent
to despots and to those who wish to
Cypress their fellow men, because its
free exercise is fatal to depotism and
oppression. The strength it imparts
carries it's own protection In all ages
those who seek to deprive people OF
their rights to justify their actions by
ancient and obsolete precedents and
coming definitions suited to their ends
"People can only free themselves
:, from oppression by organized force
No people could gain or maintain
their rights or liberties acting singly
and any class of citizens iii the State
subject to unjust burdens or oppres-
sion can only gain relief by combined
, action. All great things are done and
all great improvements in social condi.
tons achieved, by the organization and
collective action Of men. 1t was the
recognition of these truths that
prompted the PRONUNCIATION Of the
proposition we are discussing. The
doctrine compels every man to be {
stranger in, action to every other man
This is contrary to the constitution
4 and genius of our government.
"It is a doctrine abhorrent to free.
men. It is in hostility to a law o.
mans nature, which prompts him tt
associate with his fellows for his pro
lection, defense and improvement. I'm.
der it's operation every religious, pol
> itical or social organization in the
country may be enioined from com
bined action, if their religious faith Of
: political creed or practice is obnox-
= ious.
= = while laborers, by the application
to them of the doctrine we are consid.
ering, are reduced to individual &C.
ton, it is not so with the forces ar.
= rayed against them. A corporation i:
7 an association Of individuals for com
bined action; trusts are corporations
combined together for the very purpose
of collective action, and capital, which
: is the product of labor, is in itself {
powerful collective force. Indeed &C.
cording to this supposed rule, ever!
corporation and trust in the country
l. is an unlawful combination; for Will.
! it's business may be Of a kind that it
i individual members each acting fo
himself, might lawfully conduct tn
moment they enter into a combina
ton to do the same thing by thei
n combined effort, the combination be
comes an unlawful conspiracy. Blu
the rule is never so applied. Corpor
. ations and trusts and other combina
a lions Of individuals and aggregation
t Of capital, extend themselves right an,
b left through the entire community
= boycotting and inf1icting irreparabl
# damage and crushing out small dealer
: and producers, sitting competitions es
= tablishing monopolies, reducing tn
wages Of laborers, raising the pric
of food on every mans table and O
: the clothes on his back and of tn
e house that shelters him, and inf1ictin
s on the wage earners the pains and pen
e alties Of the lockout and blacklist, an