The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-10

injunction against the miners. He de-
clined to grant it but he gave to both
parties a lecture from the bench to
which am ~lad to saw they paid heed.
He warned them that violence would
not be permitted and that the whole
power of the state, would, if necessary,
be invoked to suppress it.
HE warned the miners particularly
that their worst enemies were those
among their own number or their SYM
| pathizers who committed deeds of vio-
lence and he warned the capitalists
| that deeds of violence by the employ
ers did just as much damage to their
cause and were just as fragrant out
| RACES against the public as the deeds
or violence committed by the miners
and sympathizers of the miners, and
that one would be no more tolerated
than the other.
Therefore, friends. your first duty is
TO establish law and order and it is
especially to the interest of the wage
workers that law and order should be
established and they should be tho
first to join effectively in the move
ment. No plea should be entertained
for moment that would delay the
putting Of an end to the reign of law
| less violence.
Let the employees remember that it
| may well be to the interest of some of
| their leaders for political or other rea-
| sons to have lawlessness and disorder
continue, but that it is pre-eminently
against the interest of the working
men thems lives
Find Out the Truth.
Then your duty has not ended. It
mas only begun. Then you will have
| obtained law and order, but you are
| derelict in your duty unless you treat
this merely as the first although =.
obtaining Justice. In any big strike
| not only the employees and employers
are particularly in interest, but the
public is, too Especially is this the
case with public service corporations.
| 1t is not merely your duty, but your
right, you people of Columbus, you peo-
! pie of Ohio, to insist ON knowing all
1 the facts that led up to and brought
| on this strike and pass judgment on it.
/ 1T has been alleged to me that the
/ trouble began because of dismissal
| by the company of some of its en-
/ ployees for asking for higher wages. Tt
| is also alleged that it has continued
| because Of the open or covert effort OF
the corporation to prevent the fforma-
| ton of a union among the employees.
| Both allegations are denied.
/ you should get authoritative fnfor-
nation to whether they are true or
/ false. OF course, to dismiss men for
asking for an increase of wages would
be such an infamy that 1 can hardly
| believe it occurred. but you should
find out definitely. To dismiss men for
/ membership in or for proposing to
join a union would be almost as
/ bad. The union is just as much a
| necessity of our modern industrial sys-
tenn as the corporation itself. Both
| must obey the law. but each is a ne
cessity. Under modern conditions it
| is ofttimes necessary that there should
| be collective bargaining on the part
| of the men and, this can only come
\ through the union.
| Relieves in Unions
81 am honorary member of a union
| myself. If We're a wage worker. en-
gagged in manual labor, 1 should GER
| tainly join the union. Union men have
into the union. AS was SO well set
| forth in the admirable report, of the
anthracite strike commission, such ac-
| ton is as gross a violation of right as
is the socalled secondary boycott. But
| it is equally an outrage for the en-
| ployer to discriminate against the
unions and fail to work with them in
a spirit of cordial good faith ON both
| sides. Moreover, if your present arbi-
/ tration law is not sufficiently stringent
| unconstitutional amend the constitu-
! ton. But do not wait to remedy any
I present wrongs until the constitution
! is amended.
THE state and the municipality
have power to force any public service
| corporation to do what is right if they
choose to exercise that power and il
is the business of the people to see that
they so choose.
In conclusion, friends. your duties
are two-fold; first,-at once and with
out eQuivocation or hesitation to force
order, suppress violence and see tina,
the law is obeyed in letter and spirit
Second, as soon as this result has
been achieved turn at once to the
great question of justice and exert your
whole power to find out the facts
treating any refusal to give you all the
facts as a confession of guilt If in
justice has been done exert the whole
power of the government to see that
it is remedied forthwith and if there is
, any effort to prevent and If the attempt
to remedy it is obstructed, see to il
! that there is not only a remedy bu!
:. also punishment and take steps that
!, will effectually prevent repetition Of
the injustice.
you people of Columbus face one OF
the crises which from time to time ir
, our American life demand the exercise
of the highest qualities of good citizen
, ship 1t is your immediate duty to Sc
cure law and order and once this has
been done it becomes your even higher
: and more pressing duty to see that
: Justice full and complete, is guaran-
teed alike to the employer, the en-
ployee and the people as a whole