Rock Island Argus., 1911-05-15
MUST NOT Join
The A. F. OF |.
Letter Carriers Would Endan-
ger Government by Strike
or Boycott.
so PRESIDENT DECLARES
Points to Experience of France in
Argument Before b. of X. I.
at Harrisburg.

Harrisburg, Pa, May 15.-The gov
ernment of the United States will not
recognize revolution as a means of en-
forcing increased wages to employees
of the government.
This was the substance of speech
by President Taft addressing the
tenth annual convention of the Broth
erhood of Railroad Trainmen in this
city yesterday. Several thousand del
egates heard the address and seemed
to like it,
The president spoke to the question
of the right of letter carriers to join
the American Federation OF Labor and
his talk was a straight from the
shoulder mo" The question, he said,
is most likely to come up in congress.
1t presents a serious problem which
the president declared demanded the
attention of the whole people.
PERMITTED TO ORGANIZE.
81 Think said the president. some
persons have gone to the extreme of
holding that there ought to be no
combinations of government employees
permitted. l think, however, that in
oil gov anu ndNO 6lhSh
some attention to the subject, the gov
ernment 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 un-
ion organizations made up of the en-
ployes of private employers, and to
use the same methods in securing bet
ter terms of employment that are rec
ognized as lawful and justifable in the
ordinary trade union; in other words,
that it is entirely proper for combina-
tions of postal employees and others to
combine in an association to affiliate
with the American Federation OF La
Dor, and then to hold in reserve as an
instrument for enforcing their claims,
presented to congress for increased
or the betterment II
terms in other respects, the boycott
and the strike, which are instruments
recognized by the American Fedora
tion of ,L-aber-and supported and justi-
fed by 1t when used by the trades
unions affiliated in such federation.
AKIN TO REVOLUTIONS.
This presents very serious ques-
ton, and one which, if decided in IA
vor of the right of government en-
ployes to strike and use the boycott |
will be full Of danger to the govern
nent and the republic.
The government employees OF
France resorted to it and took, the
government by the throat. The execu-
i've was entirely dependent upon
hese employees for it's continuance.
when those in executive author
ty refused to acquiesce in the de-
nands, the government employees
struck, and then, with the helpless
,truction of all authority and
he choking of government ac-
ivities, it was seen that to allow the
government employees to use such an
was to recognize revolu-
ion as a lawful means of securing an
Increase in compensation for one
lass, and that a privileged class, at
he expense of all the public.
APPEALS TO REASONABLE MEN.
81 do not think that reasonable
minded trades union men who are full
y alive to the necessity for rigorous
means to enforce their rights in their
with capital and with
heir employers, will fail to see the
road difference that exists between
heir case, in which they are con
ending for the betterment of their
velihood against the naturally selfish
lotives of their employers, and that !,
f the class of government employees
tho are privileged not only in the =,
mount Of their compensation, the
,ss number of hours of their employ
lent and the greater permanency of
enure, and who serve the govern
lent of all the people. the very ex-
;tence of which will be threatened
1ould they combine together TO quit
lie government all at once and paral- =.
ze the benefit, and the equal benefits, !,
lat that government is properly sup
osed and held to confer upon the peo-
e at large"
.