The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-24
TRAINING LABOR IN THE Law.

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! TRAINING LABOR IN THE LAW.
The Catholic clergy of Boston Is In
the midst of n great movement against
| socialism The priests of many par
ishes, the bishop of the Diocese OF Bos-.
! ton and many clerics of high rank
from nearby cities, together with a
number of famous Catholic laymen, are
addressing great meetings in the pub
| lilo halls of Boston, are exposing the
| fallacies of socialism and are urging
upon all their communicates the dam
| gers that beset tho church from the
| spread of socialism. In the course OF
these lectures the speakers are en-
planning to the laboring men OF Bos-
| ton what is the true gospel OF toll ana
are striving to train labor in the law.
| This strikes us as the better part of
| the Undertaking and as the part best
| calculated to benefit the men who are
| thronging by thousands to the meet
| ings. Indiscriminate condemnation OF
| socialism, root and branch, is neither
| just nor eSpeuleHt, III VIII al Tvs
faults and all its failings, there is a
basis Of truth In much OF what the
more conservative Socialists are
| preaching To condemn the whole and
to warn all laboring men against 1t
as against a phantom of darkness will
probably be to create more interest In
socialism than hatred of It, On the
other hand, the definition of the rights
of labor and tutelage in the methods
by which labor may uphold its rights
will be OF great service to labor and
to society.
The trade union movement has great
possibilities for good and it should
be shown all possible consideration by
every man who believes in his fellows
right to get a full days pay for full
days work. 1t is more than probable
also that trade unionism, If properly
directed, may prove a great force in
the future for government. for law and
for order. Many Of the best and most
| conservative men in the country
men who taboo the claptrap OF popu-
lism and believe in equal rights for all
ization of labor is the only weapon
with which to contend against the or
ganization of capital. This may or
may not be the case, but it IS unques-
tionably true that the future of the
unions is great If the men who COM
/. pose them know how they should move
and what they should seek.
The trouble with most labor organ
izations has been that their view is
too narrow. They realize their own
rights to the fullest, but they do not
appreciate the rights of others. They
believe in their lawful organization
but they do not believe in the organi-
cation of other forces in the industrial
world. Many of the men who make UP
the body of the trade unions are igSo-
rant of the fundamental principles OF
the law, and some of those who lead
them are hardly better trained, or
where they are trained, have too great
bias to lead their brother workmen
intelligently.
1t would seem therefore that the
proper leadership of the labor forces
must come from the friends of labor
who are not in the unions or who have
broader view of the law. without pre-
JUDGE against any element of society.
This seems to be the theory upon which
the clergymen of Boston are working.
They are proved friends of labor, and
all worltmen know 1t. They are en-
! lightened and they are sincere. They
can teach the unionsts what their
rights are and how they may secure
| them, and they may be able to increase
the good within labor organizations
and to reduce the evil. If they do, and
| if they succeed in training labor in
the law, they viii surely be obeyng
the injunction of Him who came to
bring peace on earth and to proclaim
| good will among men.
|