The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-03-25
President Urges Needed LaqDs;
Would AHozU Labor Agreements

the damages sustained by the plaintih
and the cost. OF suit, including a Tea-
sOndble attorneys fee.
Would Faovr Labor.
The law should not affect pending
suits; a short statute of limitations
should he proyided. so FAR as Nast
is concerned not TO exceed
Moreover, and even more in Il r
est of labor than of business cornbi-
nations, all such suits brought for
causes Of action heretofore occurred
should be brought only II the contract
or combination complained Of was I'M
fair or unreasonable 1t may be well
to remember that all of the suits
hitherto brought by the Government
under the antitrust law have been III
tract was in fact unfair, unreasonable
and against the public interest.
1t is important that We should en-
courage trade agreements between en-
plOyer and emplOye where they are Just
end fair A strike is a clumsy weapon
for righting wrongs done TO labor. ana
we should extend, SO fur as possible,
the process Of Cancellation and arbitra-
ton for strikes
Violence, disorder, and coercion,
when committed In connection with
strikes, should be as promptly and
as sternly repressed as when COM
mitted I'm any other connection. But
strikes themselves 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 ve.y wealthy corporation,
stand at an enormous advantage when
compared "a the individual workingmani
and while there are many cases where
IL may not be necessary for labOrefs
10 form a union. IN many other cases
it Is Indispensable, for otherwise the
thousands of small units, the thousands
OF individual WOrlungmen. viii De ieIL
helpless in their dealings with the one
big unit, the big individual or corporate
employer
Strikes Held Legal.
Twenty-Five years ago, by he act
Of June %. 1856. trades unions were
recognized by law and the right OF Ia
toTng people 10 combine for all lawful
purposes was formally recognized. this
right including combination for mutual
protection and benefits. the regulation
IF wages, hours. and conditions OF la
Dor. anG the protection Of the Individual
rights OF the workmen in the prosecu-
ton OF their trade or trades, and in
the act Of June I, 1888. strikes were
recognized as legal in the same pro-
vision that forbade participation in OF
insgigatiOr of force or violence against
persons o. property. OF the attempt 10
prevent others from working by ViO-
ieECe, threat or intimidation.
The business man must b. pro-
teeted In person and property, and
so must the farmer and the wage
worker, and as regards all alike,
the right of peaceful combination
for all lawful purposes should be
explicitly recognized.
The right OF employers to -Orhine
and contract with one another and with
their employees should be explicitly
recognized, and so should the right Of
the employees to combine and 10 con-
tract with one another and with the en-
plOyers, and to seek peaceably to per
sUade others to accept their views, and
to strike for the purpose OF pe1ceahly
obtaining from employers satisfactory
terms FOR their labor.
Nothing should be done TO legauze
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