The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02

"hclC llC SOulDAudllOu VI COulIdCl was
in fact unfair, unreasonable, and
against the public interest.
Labor Organizations.
1t is important that we should en-
courage trade agreements between en-
ployer and employe where they are
just and fair. A strike is a CLUMSY
weapon for righting wrongs done TO
labor, and We should extend, so far as
possible, the process of conciliati0n
and arbitration for strikes. Moreover,
violence, disorder and coercion. when
| committed 10. connection with strikes,
should be as promptly and as sternly
repreS5ed as when committed in any
| other connection. But strikes them
selves are, and should be, recognized
to be entirely legal Combinations of
workingmen have a peculiar reason
| for their existence. The very wealthy
Individual employer, and still more the
very wealthy corporation, stand at an
enormous advantage when compared
to the individual workingman; and
while there are many cases where il
form a union, in many other cases it
is Indispensable, for otherwise the
thousands Of small units, the thou
sands of individual workingmen, will
be left helpless in their dealings with
the big one unit, the big individual or
corporate employer.
twenty-five years ago. by the act of
June 29, 1886, trades unions were rec
ognized by law, and the right of la
boring people to combine for all
lawful purposes was formally recog-
nized, this right including combina-
tionS for mutual protection and beno-
fits, the regulation of wages, hours
and conditions of labor, and the pro-
lection of the individual rights of the
workmen in the prosecution of their
trade or trades; and in the act of
June l, 1898, strikes were recognized
as legal in the same provision that for
bade participation in or instigation of
force or violence against persons or
property, or the attempt to prevent
others from working, by violence,
threat or intimidation. The business
man must be protected in person and
property, and so must the farmer and
the wageworker; and as regards all
alike, the right of peaceful combina.
tion for all lawful purposes should be
explicitly recognized.
Objects to Boycott.
The right of employers to combine
and contract with one another and
with their employees should be explc-
lily recognized; and so should the
right of the employees to combine and
to contract with one another and with
the employers, ana to seek peaceably |
to persuade others to accept their |
views, and to strike for the purpose Of |
peaceably obtaining from employers |
satisfactory terms for their labor. |
Nothing should be done to legalize
either a blacklist or a boycott that |
would be illegal at common law, this |
being the type of boycott defined and |
condemned by the anthracite strike
commission.
The question of financial legislation |
Is now receiving such attention in |
both houses that we have a right to
expect action before the close of the |
session. 1t is urgently necessary that |
there should be such action. Moreover.
action should be taken to establish |
postal savings banks. These postal |
savings banks are imperatively needed |
PN, thn of Il
men of small means, and will be val
liable adjunct to our whole financial |
system.
Tariff Revision.
The time has come when we should |
prepare for a revision of the tariff.
This should be, and indeed must be,
preceded by careful investigation. 1t
is peculiarly the province of the con.
gress and not of the president, and in.
deed peculiarly the province of the
house of representatives, to originate
a tariff bill and to determine upon its
terms; and this l fully realize. Yet 1t
seems to me that before the close of
this session provision should be made
will enable the congress elected next
fail to act Immediately after it comes
into existence. This would necessitate
some action by the congress at it's
present session, perhaps in tho shape
Of directing the proper committee to
gather the necessary information, both
through the committee itself and
through government agents who
should report to the committee and
should lay before it the facts which
would permit it to act with prompt
and intelligent fairness. These govern
ment agents,.i it is not deemed wise
to appoint individuals from outside the
public service, might with advantage
be members of the executive depart
ments, designated by the president,
N his own motion or on the request of
he committee, to act with it.
am of the opinion, however, that
one change in the tariff could with
advantage be made forthwith. Our
forests need every protection, and ono
method of protecting them would be
to put upon the free list wood pulp,
with corresponding reduction upon
paper made from wood pulp, when
they come from any country that
does not put an export duty upon
them.
Waterways Commission.
Ample provision should be made
'or permanent waterways commits.
sion, with whatever power is required
% make it effective. The reasonable
expectation of the people will not be
net unless the congress provides at
his session for the beginning and
prosecution of the actual work of wa,
erway improvement and control. The
congress should recognize in fullest
ashton the fact that the subject of tho