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

tion in the various departments of So
cial life. She claims that the right to
associate with his fellows for the at
tainment of a legitimate end is birth
right of man. For this right she has
fought against the Roman state, who
denied the right of private associa-
ton. She has gained it for herself
and is most willing to extend it to all
lawful purposes. Laborers have a
right to combine in order to promote
their common interests. In doing so
they violate NO just law; they i'm
peril no legitimate interest; they act
within the sphere of social justice.
What is right cannot be detrimental to
the commonwealth nor subversive of
order and peace. Labor unions in
themselves cannot be regarded as
menace to social peace or as an in
justice done anyone else. They are
lawful, expedient, commendable. They
are desirable. "Private societies, then,
although they exist within the state
and are severally part of the state,
cannot nevertheless be absolutely as
such, prohibited by the state. For to
enter into a society of this kind is the
natural right of man, and the state
is bound to protect natural rights, not
to destroy them" Thus speaks the
immortal Leo VIII.
2. But if the unions are to enjoy
permanently the approval of the
Church they must be conducted in a
spirit of justice, fairness, moderation
and equity. The Church cannot iden-
tify herself with q movement which
stoops to employ unfair means, how.
ever noble may be its end.
Gentlemen, you are men of sound
common sense and of practical judg.
ment. Your daily work brings you in
contact with the stern realities of life.
You are not dreamers of dreams and
not seers of visions. You are not
thinking of overturning the existing
structure of society. Your purposes
are not revolutionary. You admit and
accept the existing wage system; un-
der this system you are satisfied to
obtain by collective bargaining fair
share of remuneration for your SER
vices. You are conservative, pillars
of order and bulwark against revo.
luton. 1t is good that the public
knows this, for that knowledge will
dispel its distrust and it's misgivings.
We hail labor organization as one of
the conservative forces of the commu-
nifty. To crush labor unions means to
open the floodgates of the revolution.
ary spirit.
And here you find yourself in har-
mony with the Church. She also loves
order. and prefers to preserve rather
than to destroy. She is not committed
to uphold any particular economic
system, but it is her mission to see
that under whatever system justice be
done and human dignity be not out
ragged. This is her present concern
that just balance of rights be found
between labor and capital, that exploi-
tation and all forms of oppression
cease.
So long are the unions irreproach-
able as they deal in fairness and JUS
tice with all concerned-their own
members. the employers, the public.
And first: justice to their members.
They are not to substitute the despot-
ism of the union for the despotism of
capitalism. That would be small gain,
indeed. Efficiency must be recognized
within the unions also; there must be
no attempt to reduce everything to a
dead level; the union standards must
not become CALLING enslavement and
a bitter yoke for the more competent
worker. Their uniformity of wage
must not be of such rigidity as to dis.
courage skill and private industry. 1t
would be unfair to refuse to admit
non-unionists to membership on rea-
sonable terms to monopolize the trade,
for this would constitute an interfer-
ence with their right to work.
Justice towards the employer. The
employer is entitled to fair days
work for fair days wage. The
union must furnish efficient workers.
1t must refrain from petty chicanery,
which may be the source of actual
loss and even ruin to the employer.
Sometimes rigid enforcement of
union rule may result in great waste
which reduces considerably, if it does
not actually swallow up altogether the
profits of the employer. Human regu.
lations must have some elasticity and
pliableness in order to adapt them.
selves to circumstances; to insist on
ones abstract rights in certain condi.
tions may involve the greatest injus-
tice. The terrorizing tendencies Of
some unions, their pitiless and sense
less carrying out Of some rules of an
embarrassing nature, are much to be
q - ~ . ~ u = = 4