The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-11-28


labor. The language of some labor
leaders warrants such apprehension.
Show them that it is not so. Make
them understand by your present poll
cies and tactics that extortion is far
from your minds, that the interests of
all will be safe when you possess
power. That you wish to build a roof
for the protection of all. And imme-
diately the hearts of all will go out to
you, for all are tired and weary and
sick of this heartless regime of brutal
competition. All the powers of right
will be fighting with you; make your
cause worthy cause, great cause,
the cause of all, and you multiply
your strength hundredfold. Make it
the cause of universal justice and all
will be with you. But then, my friends,
expunge from your vocabulary all
those ugly phrases that drip with the
poison of class hatred.
No Peace Without Justice.
Peace and order, indeed, are rreci-
GUS things Yet there is a greater
than these, and that is justice. Nor
will there be peace in the world until
justice is realized. But too frequent
ly we find those who enjoy the fruits
of injustice plead for peace in order
that they may continue in the enjoy
ment of nefarious advantages. They
regard every attempt to wrest from
them the privileges unjustly acquired
as SO many attacks on order,
the daughter of leaven. AS if a con-
dition in which the retaining of un-
just advantages was possible, deserv-
ed the name of order. When the
framework of established order Gov.
ers injustice it is bound to break
down, for it no longer can command
the respect of men. When system
begins to lean for it's main support
on force, when it enlists bayouet and
gun in defense of it's claims, the down.
fall of that system is blazoned with
fiery letters in the heavens. Justice
is higher than peace, and peace may
be sacrificed in the interests of Justice.
Men have an Unborn love of peace,
and they suffer much wrong before
they rise against oppression. And so
wrong accumulates in the world and
towers to heaven and defies the God
of eternal justice. But as the currents
of history move onward the founda-
ton is washed away from under the
soaring tower of injustice until one
day, when it seems most impregnable
in the pride Of it's strength, it comes
down with a crash and thunder This
is the impression have derived from
the reading of history, that oppres.
sion and wrong are never defeated by
the uprising of the downtrodden and
the defrauded (for power is almost in
variably on the side of injustice), but
by the objective forces of right which,
though invisible, are operative in
shaping the course of human history.
This is slow process, too slow for
the patience of most men. Then they
take it into their own hands to right
the existing wrongs generally they
fail, and only succeed in giving new
power to the crumbling reign of in
justice and grant it another lease of
life. Resist not evil" says the Lord.
And the philosophy of history bears
out the expediency of his startling re.
mark. Resist not evil, for if you do
you strengthen it, you rally the forces
of evil around their scarlet banner:
resist not evil, for it will defeat itself.
1t will perish through it's own inso-
lence and daring.
When Is a Strike Lawful?
But men are not willing to leave the
redressing of their grievances to the
spirit of Justice that presides over the
course of human events. Wrongs NAV
become acute, they may become intol.
cradle; injustice may be fragrant and
add scorn to injury, so that men are
stung into indignation and goaded to
revolt. Who will sit in Judgment on
those who throw off the yoke of op-
preston, and doing so shake the pill
lars OF order, supporting roof which
gives protection to fraud, injustice
and deceit?
The unions are peaceful organiza-
tons; they wish to obtain their ends
by collective bargaining and peaceful
agreement. They bring in a respect
full manner their demands and griev.
ances to the notice of their employ.
ers. What happens? Their com.
plants are not even heard; their de.
mands are, do not say, not granted !:
they are not even examined; nay.
they are regarded as non-existent. The
union is not recognized. It's voice is
lost on the empty air.
And how do the unions answer?
VIII they go back to their grinding
tasks? Submit to conditions that out.
rage human dignity? Perhaps this
might be sublime; it might be the
heroism of patience, but it is not
human, it is not normal.
They also are not devoid of power.
In this extremity they resort to the
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