Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-03-25


ton. But strikes themselves are and
should be recognized to be entirely
legal. Combinations Of workingmen
have peculiar reason for their ex-
istence. The very wealthy individual
employer, and still more the very
wealthy corporation, stand at an
enormous advantage when compared
to the individual nottingham, and,
while there are many cases where 1t
may not be necessary for laborers to
form union, in many other cases 1t is
Indispensable, for otherwise the thou
sands of small units, the thousands Of
individual workingmen, will be left
helpless in their dealings with the one
big unit, the big individual or corporate
employer.
Trades Unions.
Twenty-Five years ago, by the act Of
June %, 1886, trades unions were rec
ognized by law, and the right Of la
boring people to combine for all lawful
purposes was formally recognized, this
right including combination for mutual
protection and benefits. the regulation
of wages, hours and conditions of la.
Dor and the protection of the individual
rights of the workmen In the prosecu-
tion of their trade or trades, and in the
act of June 1, 1893, strikes were rec
ognized as legal in the same provision
that forbade participation in or instiga-
ton of force or violence against per-
sons or property or the attempt to pre-
vent 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 combination
for all lawful purposes should be ex.
plicitly recognized.
Right to Combine Recognized.
The right of employers to combine |
and contract with one another and
with their employees should be explic-
lilly recognized, and so should the right |
Of the employees to combine and to
contract with one another and with !
the employers and to seek peaceably to
persuade Others to accept their views |
and to strike for the purpose of peace
ably obtaining from employers Salts
factory terms for their labor. Nothing
should be done to legalize either
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.
Financial Legislation.
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, &C.
ton should be taken to establish postal
savings banks. These postal savings
banks are imperatively needed for the
benefit of the wageworkers and men
of small means and will be valuable
adjunct to our whole financial system.
Time For 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. II
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
tariff bill and to determine upon its
terms, and this fully realize. Yet 1t
seems to me that before the close of
this session provision should be made
for collecting full material which will
enable the congress elected next fall
to act Immediately after it comes into
existence. This would necessitate some
action by the congress at its present
session, perhaps in the shape of direct
ing the proper committee to gather the
necessary information, both through
the committee itself and through gov
eminent agents who should report to
the committee and should lay before II
the facts which would permit it to act
with prompt and intelligent fairness.
These government agents, il 1t is not
deemed wise to appoint individuals
from outside the public service. might
with advantage be members of the ex-
ncutive departments, designated by the
president on his own motion or on the
request OF the committee to act with 1t.
For Free Wood Pulp.
l am of the opinion, however, that
one change in the tariff could with ad-
vantage be made forthwith. Our for
ests need every protection. and one
method of protecting them would be
10 put upon the free list wood pulp,
with corresponding reduction Npon
paper made from wood pulp when they
rome from any country that does not
put an export duty upon them.
Permanent Waterways Commission.
Ample provision should be made for
permanent waterways commission, =
with whatever power is required to
make it effective. The reasonable ex-
oectation Of the people will not be met
lnless the congress provides at this
'ession for the beginning and prosecu-
ion Of the actual work Of waterway
and control. The con-
,ress should recognize In fullest fash.
on the fact that the subject of tns
OF our natural resources
with which this commission deals Is
literally vital for the future OF the ma
lion.
National Water Power.
Numerous bills granting water pow
n rights on nsvigable streams have =
Deen introduced. None Of them give
4