The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-26

brought by the government under the antitrust law have been in cases where the combination or contract was in fact unfair unreasonable, and against the public interest.
 It is important that we should en- courage trade agreements between cm- ployer and employe where they are just and fair strike is a clumsy weapon for fighting wrongs done to la hor. and we should extend so far as possible, the process of conciliation and arbitration as substitute for strikes Moreover, violence, disorder, and coer- cion, when committed in connection with strikes. should be as promptly and IS sternly repressed as when commit ted in any other connection But strikes themselves are, and should be, recog- nized to he entirely legal Combinations of workingmen have peculiar reason for their existence. The very wealthy individual employer, and still more tho very wealthy corporation, stand at an enormous advantage when compared to the individual workingman; and while iHtAt att AiidRAA idN'' W tf'tt u iiAtA HUI be necessary for laborers to form union. in many other cases it is indis- pensable, for otherwise the thousands of small units, the thousands of indi- vidual workinginen. will he left helpless in their dealings with the one big unit. the big individual or corporate em- ployer
 Twenty-two years ago, hy the act of June 2s. 1sSs, trades unions were recog- nIzed by law, and the right of labering people to combine for all lawful pur- poses was formally recognized. this rihet including combination for mutual protection and benefits. the regulation of wages, hours and conditions of la bor. and the protection of the individ- ual rights of the workmen in the prosecution of their trade or trades. and in the act of June 1. 1898. strikes were recognized as legal in the same provision that forbade participation in or instigation of force or violence against persons or property, or the at tempt to prevent others from working. by violence. threat. or intimidation. Tine business man must be protected in per son and property and so must the i 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 combine and contract with one another and with their employees should be explicit ly recognized. and so shouM the right of the employees fo combine and to con tract with one another and wit. tho i employers. and to seek pcaccably to persuade others 10 accept their views. and io strike for the purpose of peace ably obtaining from employers satis- factory terms for their labor Nothing should he done to legalize either a blacklist or a boycott that would he it. legal at common law: this being tho 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 clpse of fhe session. Ii is urgently necessary that there should be such action. Moreover. action should he taken to establish postal say ings banks These pos.al savings banks are imperatiyely needed for the benefit of the wa sgeworkers and men of small means. and will be valuable adjunct to our whole financial system.
 The time has come when we should prepare for a revision of the tariff This should be. and indeed must he, # preceded by careful investigation. II is ] peculiarly the province of the Congress iand not of the President. and indeed i peculiarly the province of the House of