Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-05-19
TAFT DISCUSSES
THE MAIL CLERKS
CONDITION NOT ANALOGOUS TO
THOSE WHO WORK FOR
PRIVATE EMPLOYERS.
DENIES THEIR RIGHT TO STRIKE
presIdent Touches on Trade Unions
Speech Before Convention OF
Brotherhood Of Railroad
1rainmen.

Harrisburg, Pa, May 15.-Contrar9
TO his personal inclinations, but in the
belief that it would do much to silence
alarming reports of the seriousness o.
Mrs. Tafts illness, President Ia1'
came to Harrisburg.
The speech was delivered to the
tenth biennial convention of the Bro
therhood of Railroad Trainmen.
The president spoke of trade unions
their good and had points. but he
wound up by defining his position in
regard to the utilization with the Amer
lean Federation of Labor organizations
OF government clerks. The question,
he said, was most likely to come up in
congress. 1t presented serious prob
lem which the president declared de-
manded the attention of the whole
people.
II think" said the President, some
persons have gone to the extreme OF
holding that there ought to be no COM
binations of government employees per.
mitted think, however, that in all
governments, and I have given some
examination to the subject, the gov.
eminent employees are permitted to
combine and have associations for
their betterment, but the proposition
now Is that such combinations should
be allowed to affiliate with trades
union organizations made up of the
employees of private employers, and
to use the same methods in securing
better terms of employment that are
recognized as lawful and justifiable
In the ordinary trade unions, in other
words, that ii is entirely proper for
combinations Of postal employees and
others to combine in an association
to affiliate with the American Fedora.
ton of Labor, and then to hold in re-
serve as an instrument for enforcing
their claims, presented to congress for
Increased compensation or the better.
ment of terms in other respects, the
boycott and the strike, which are in.
struments recognized by the American
Federation of Labor and supported
and justified by it when used by the
trades unions affiliated in such feder.
alton.
This presents very serious ques
ton and one, which if decided in favor
of the right of government employees
to strike and use the boycott, will be
full of danger to the government and
the republic.
Cites Crisis In France.
"The government employees of
France resorted to it and took the
government by the throat. The execu.
tive was entirely dependent upon
these employees for its continuance.
when those in executive authority
refused to acquiesce in the demands,
the government employees struck and
then with the helpfulness of the gov.
eminent and the destruction of all au.
thority and the choking of govern.
ment activities, 1t was seen that to
allow the government employees to use
such an instrument was to recognize
revolution as lawful means of secur.
ing an increase in compensation for
one class, and that privileged class,
at the expense of all the public.
II do not think that reasonable
minded trades union men who are full.
" alive to the necessity for rigorous
means to enforce their rights in their
controversies with capital and with
their employer, will fail to see the
broad difference that exists between
their case, in which they are contend.
ing for the betterment of their liveli.
hood against the naturally selfish mo.
tives Of their employers and that OF
the class of government employees who
are privileged not only in the amount
of their compensation, the less mum.
Der OF hours Of their employment and
the greater permanency of tenure, and
who serve the government of all the
people, the very existence of which
will be threatened should they com.
bine together to quit the government
service all at once and paralyze the
benefit, and the equal benefits, that
that government is properly supposed
and held to confer upon the people at
large"
The government employees are a
privileged class whose work is neces. |
sary to carry on the government and
upon whose entry into the government
service 1t is entirely reasonable to i'm.
pose conditions that should not be-
and ought not to be. imDosed unon
those who serve private employers.
Nntinv ~