The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-11-27
II RIGHTS OF LABOR.

their interference with the business 81
others.
The rights Of labor, as we'll as the
rights Of all classes, are grounded il
the constitution Of the country.
The present laws are nearly all the
result of the demands of labor. Labor
enjoys rights, and is denied certain
privileges. In justice it must be said
that all other classes enjoy the same
rights and are denied the same priv
|leges. To change these conditions, il
is necessary to amend the constitu
ton. Under our form of government
all men must be treated alike.
Every man has the right to become
a capitalist, but he himself must put
forth the effort. Any man may re
main poor, If he so elects. g
The antitrust law was passed as the
outgrowth of a demand on the part Of
labor. 1t operates against labor or
CARNATIONS the same as it does
against other concerns.
No court will permit any firm te
maintain a black list, for that denies
to the individual the right to free EN-
ployment. Similarly, the courts frown
down on the secondary boycott, be
cause that denies the right of equal
business opportunity. Il is the same
question, whether the offender be q
commercial concern or a labor organ
%ization, this matter Of keeping a black
list.
To remove the law that governs in
functions, SO far as n class is con
cerned, means to remove it with re
gard to all classes, and let down the
bars to the. vicious element, for while
it has operated in one or two cases
detrimental to labor, it has checked
thousands of cases of wrong, and in
doing SO has protected labor. 1t has
prevented untold fraud, and stopped
crime. Remove the injunction, and
we let down the bars to the criminal
element in high life.
Capitalists cannot have all they
would desire, because they would take
all. Labor may not have all, because
it is but human nature that it would
take all. We must, and shall, com
promise, to the end that the major.
ity Of us shall rule-for that is the
method the human family finally
adopts, take it where you may.
A law, having for its purpose the
Limitation Of certain privileges, it
strikes us, would cover the case. This
law would define the rights Of organ.
izations, be they commercial or labor
in character, and beyond that point
make it illegal to go.
Thus the right to strike, which is an
established principle, carries with it
the right Of the other party to the dis
pute to continue in business.
That a change is necessary, to meet
new conditions. the outgrowth Of rapid
advancement, we all admit. But at
the same time, the change should
carry with it the same privileges and
restrictions to n side that it does to
the other. If not, it is doomed to fail
ure at the outset.
II this is not done, n side will
have an unfair advantage ver the
other. II capital has an unjust ad'
vantage over labor the workman will
suffer, and as a consequence capital
itself with sooner or later, become
involved. If, on the other hand, labor
destroys the power of financial expan.
sion, it weakens the productive energy
and the source from which it in turn
must in any event derive not only EN-
ployment, but recompense for the
work performed. -
The idea Of the meeting at the
White House the other night is new
It is the first time, as we are aware,
that an executive has ever called in
the representatives of the laboring
men, on the n side, the members OF
the supreme court and his cabinet, on
the other, in order that an understand.
ing may be reached.
AS a result, a message having in
mind the shaping of a new law, or
an amendment to the present law, will
doubtless be sent to congress, to the
end that a readjustment may be ef
tected, not necessarily for the benefit
Of labor, certainly not in the interest
of capital; not for an advantage one
class may enjoy over another, but fol-
the benefit of all alike, as a matter OF
compromise, the majority Of each
party to the dispute to agree on the
method.
Not that this will settle the mat
ter, for always there will be a dispute
where the question of money is in
volved, but such a law will define the
lines along which each may operate
make palmer the duties and priv
leges, and simplify the method of set
Ting any misunderstanding that may
! arise in the future. 49,.
GERMAN WAGES, cONTRASTEC
WITH AMERICAN.