The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-09-02

Il AAS -
were measures Of careful study ON me
part of the parliamentary leaders,. me
English statesmen became alarmed ~
the marvellous increase in crime, the
high death rate and the poverty among
the wage They clearly saw
the strength of the nation slowly ep-
bing away. Ii was necessary, -
change the navy and army
as the strong and robust men with
large measurements were no longer
to be- found. These statutes were no
more: not so much with the idea OF
helping the wage earner as they were
to regenerate England. The principle
| of law enunciated in the case of King
VS.. Journeynen-T ailors of Cambridge,
| not only was the law in England but
became the law in the state of New
York in 1885 in the case Of People VS..
Fisher (28 Am. ID. SOD. In that case
the shoemakers Of Geneva. N. Y. re-
fused to make shoes for less than 81
per pair. The supreme court OF new
York. basing its decision on the o1r
Recommendation case. convicted the
shoemakers for entering into a con-
| spiracy. The court remarked that the
labor supplies should be left to regu-
late itself. New Jersey. Pennsylvania
and other states followed this principle.
The modern doctrine is well estab-
lished. that laboring men have the
| right to organize and to improve their
4 conditions and to work for whom they
please. GA Cyc. 818}.
The legalizing of trade unions IN
England in 1924 had a very great ef-
feet. The terrific blow which struck
the shackles from the feet n n
/ chained the arms of labor stunned Tor
! a moment the liberated men that stood
in the early dawn of a new day. The
hundred years battle had been won;
| they were given the right to live, TO
4 bring up a family. to build a home and
to enjoy the sunshine. the fresh air and
the fields. which enjoyment they had
been denied SO long. Is there any
wonder that these men sometimes
doubted whether they were not less
fortunate than the beasts in the field
or the birds in the air? This new force
suddenly emancipated and clothed
with legal rights and protected by the
laws of realm. blundered in the prlrn1-
tive steps and mistakes were made.
| These unions have been severely criti-
cized but their errors are more to be
| charged against the people who re-
fused them the educational opportunity
| and denied them the leisure time nec-
| essary to work OF a system COM
patib1e with justice to employers, the
public and themselves. In this coun-
try it is interesting to note the hope
less conflict of the high courts In the
various states on the question OF
! statutes limiting the hours of labor.
Utah passed a statute prohibiting more
| than eight hours of labor in. any one
| day in a mine. The legality of this
| statute was tested in the supreme court
of the United States in 1898 in the
case of Holden VS.. Hardy (159 u. S,
1863. The supreme court of the Unit
| ed States held that such a law was
valid. that the legislators were better
| able to judge the conditions in the
mines than the courts and that such
a law was in the best interests of So
ciety. In New York the, legislators
passed a law limiting the hours OF
bakers to sixty per week. That statute
was tested in the case Of Lohner VS.,
New York bakers. in 105 and the, SUI
preme court of that state held that
such a law interferred with contract
rights and commented on the case OF
Holden VS.. Hardy, saying that no
emergency such as in that Ease exist
ed. The Legislators Of Colorado passed
a similar statute as passed in Utah,
The vadility of that law was tested in
the case in're Morgan in 1899. The SUI
preme court held directly opposite to
the supreme court of the United States
and declared the law invalid as in
fringing on the rights of contract. The
legislators of Illinois enacted a law
prohibiting women from working in
factories longer than eight hours pei
day, the validity of that law was test
ed in Ritche vs.. people (l59 Illinois So
in 1895. The supreme court held that
such a law infringed IN the freedom OF
contract and declared it invalid; while
in Nebraska and Massachusetts SINH
lar statutes regulating the hours OF
labor of women, have been held valid,
The very fact that trade unionism has
lived under these adverse conditions
and has triumphed; and the fact that
labor organizations have accomplished
so much is the best testimonial to
thier worth. From the beginning OF
record time. there has been n strik-
ing principle. Those in positions OF
power have eve voluntarily aban-
doned their parapet of vantage. When
the common good demanded a sur
render of rights and privileges, they
came out the cannon's mouth. 1t took
much less time to win absolute inde-
pendence from England than for
laborers to will the right to organize
and better their conditions. The his
tory of the world is the history Of a
struggle between the oppressed and
the oppressors.
In seeking to accomplish legitimate
ends, labor organizations have over
stepped, at times, the boundaries ct
the law. But the average labor union
men is not to be held accountable fo1
unlawful acts which he does not sane
ton. The heart of the average labor
man is honest and he is among our
best citizens. Condemn him for the
criminal acts of some labor leaders
and you must condemn yourself when
a public official for whom you have
voted. violates his trusts and turns
traitor to the people. The average
LABOR man is oppose. to Violence. HI
asks that he be given a fair return
for his labor. He claims the right tc
receive enough to maintain a wife anG
family, and to educate that little
family. He believes in reasonable
hours of labor, and I feel. that ever5
good citizen will agree with him.
The past has been a period Of ac-
emulation. Our laws permitting the
organization of corporations have
placed an instrument IN the hands OF
men, making possible fabulous for
tunes. We are now entering upon q
new period-a period of distribution
The nation in the future will be con-
| sidered the happiest and freest vii
not be the nation with the creates,
sum total of wealth but the nation
which has the most equal Distribution
of wealth.
We are living in a most interesting
and progressive age. We can, if We
willlook back over the history of socia
organizations and of the various move.
mentss of mankind. and profiting by The
mistakes and errors of judgment, build
on sounder foundations, not only thu
labor problem which is still unsettled
land viewed differently by diffeTent
%Ecourtsi but any other great problems