The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-02-27
SOME EMAIRKS
Concerning Strike of Lithographic
 Workmen.

Concerning Strike of Photographic
 Workmen.
 February 26, 1907. To Editor of the Journal and Courier:
 While the lithographic employers are. using the columns of the public press to advertise their customers, their al- .leged success in smashing what they pleose themselves to call the unjust strike of the lithographic workmen, may we ask the privilege of little space in your columns to inform, not ''our customers" but the general pub lie, about the unjust lookout these same self-commiserating lithographic employers are perpetrating?
 It is true that one of the unions in the Photographic business did demand an hight-hour day The employers formed themselves into an association and refused it, and this branch of their workmen went on strike.
 We do not wish to argue whether 1t Is just or unjust for men to want to de- eide for themselves how many hours they are willing to work, and to refuse to work longer hours than they have decided upon. Such questions are usu- ally determined by force, not by ethics.
 We do not know that this association of employers, while loudly bewailing the attack of this union, turned about and perpetrated a most uncalled for and unexpected assault upon another union which had always exerted itself to maintain peaceful and friendly rela- tions in the business, and which had neer demanded anything at all.
 The Photographic Artists, Engravers' and Designers League of America had never, since its organization in 1901, threatened the employers with strike. Yet in 1904 the employers locked out it's members without provocation, and compelled 1t to fight for four weeks to preserve it's integrity. This struggle was followed by an agreement which lastd two years. When it expired, the league at once, desiring a continuance of peaceful relations in the business, offered the employrs fiv years more of peace on the basis of the conditions which thu existed in a majority of the shops of the country. Surely no trades union could be more conservative than this. The league was we'll organized, including in it's membership ninety seven per cent. of the craft; yet it yielded up It's right to advance for the sake of five years of peace for the good of lithography But without giving any reason, the associated employers rejected the lague's peace proposition | without even discussing it. The pro- position was not urged further by the league, and no threat to strike was made; yet shortly after, the employers posted "open shop" notices and locked out the leagues members.
 | A union never strikes without giving 1 the employers notice of the condition it objects to, and, if the employers adjust the grievance, there is no strike; but these employers declared a lockout without any notice in advance and without noming any grievance at all leaving the union wholly In the dark ! as to the reason for the lockout, and giving it no chance to remove it if there had been one,
 The employers did more than merely post "open shop notices. They de- manded that every league member re- sign from his union and come to work as a non-union man.
 In word, the lithographie employ CTS suddenly and without warning at. tackled a union which had never giver any provocation and which had exerted itself and made sacrifices for the sake Iof continued and permanent peace, and attempted to destroy it. They have persisted in this utterly inexcusablt and immoral policy for more than six months; and for more than six months the members of the league have resist. ed this outrageous attack with success and will continue to resist for si1 months longer if necessary.
 We wish to call public attention tc this fact: That it Is not the characte or acts of @ trades union that has any, thing to do with the employers aninos. ity towards it, but the mere fact that i is @ trades union. The employer: themselves organize and claim the right to organize; yet they deny that right to workmen, and do their utmos to place and keep them, in an unor. ganized condition so that they may bt free to cut down their wages to tht 1 lowest subsistence level and ubjec' them to the most abject slavery with out fear of organizized revolt.
 The members of the league refuse tC be enslaved, and they will fight fol their right to be organized as long a! they can keep themselves alive. They are fighting for common liberty, ana they ask the endorsement of all liberty 1 loving citizens in their fight.