The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-02-02
REV. RYAN'S LECTURE.


tured Sunday night at the opera house
under the auspices of the Manitowoc
Knights of Columbus. His subject
was THE Good and Bad in Labor I'm
ions" and in scholarly and logical
talk he held the close attention OF the
audience for an hour and half.
Dr. Ryan said the labor union was a
good thing and would be a good thing
even if employers were disposed to do
what is fair and Just by their employees
in all instances, for the same reason
that Democracy is better than ben
evolent despotism. To the agency of
the unions DR.. Ryan gave credit for all
the good things that have come to the
working man in recent years. This
ran to wages, hours of labor, working
conditions and remedial legislation.
He explained the boycott at some
length and argued that while it is cas-
lily abused, cases might be cited where
the use of the boycott would be reason
able ana JuStlneu.
The laborer is at disadvantage, he
said in bargaining for the sale of his
labor because, first he cannot reserve
mis- offering, but must dispose of it on
the day or starve, and secondly, be-
cause in ability, experience and advan-
tage of situation he is not on an equal
footing with the employer,
Assuming this to be a truth, DR.. Ry-
an argued that collective bargaining is
the only fair and just way for deciding
the rights of the parties collective
bargaining, in its broad sense, signify
ing that employees shall deal collective
ly by representatives with employers
of the same industry collectively, also
acting by representatives.
Coming down to the discussion of the
methods employed by the union DR..
Ryan argued that the strike, the clos
ed shop and even the boycott under
certain conditions are justified when
they become necessary, after exhaust
ing all other means to obtain favorable
action on just and fair demands. He
said that the strike is sort Of war
and should not be resorted to until
every peaceable means has been ex-
hausted and then should be undertaken
only when there is chance to win.
While he said he was opposed to vio-
lence, DR.. Ryan said that much could
be said in eXtenuation of strikers who
are sutbe ed to the annoyance of strike
breake duCho often go rpon the job for
the pule.o Sc of melting violence.
DR.. Ryan devoted good deal of at
tention to the treatment of the ques-
ton of the closed shop. He argued
that the closed shop is not unfair and
does not involve the right of work
man to work at the expense of the
other. "The unionist and non-unionist
are on the same footing on this propo-
sition,' he said. "The unionst refus-
es to work with the non-unionist. The
non-unionist insists on working with
unionist but refuses to join the union.
We hear q lot about the constitutional
right of a man to work. There is moth
ing in the constitution about the right
to work or refuse to work"
The speaker said that even under
present conditions labor is not getting
its fair share of the wealth it produces
and as the union is the best agency for
getting for labor it's full share, the un-
ions should be encouraged. Admitting
that the unions have abused their pow
er DR.. Ryan said he would undertake
to find two abuses on the part of the
trusts for every one that could be
charged against the unions.