The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-01
THE RIGHT TO STRIKE.


Samuel Gompers recently asserted
that the Cummins railroad bill would
enslave workers by denying them the
fundamentaI right of striking. He
fails to reflect. we think, says the
Chicago Tribune, that there is another
right involved. the right of the SOW
ereign people to maintain the integ
rity of industries absolutely essential
to life itself
Where a relatively small number
of workers render a service that is vi
tai to the economic welfare of a large
number of people. it is scarcely con-
ceivable that the smaller number shall
be free at any time to bring misery
and even death upon the larger num-
Der. Yet we have reached the stage
in economic and social evolution when
the smaller number actually has the
hardihood to assert it's right to starve
or freeze the larger number into sub
mission. It is true that the smaller
number the 100000 coal miners in
this case, tries to make it appear that
their fight is not with the public but
with the mine owners. This, says En-
gineering and Constructing, is mere
camouflage. Who. in the last analysis.
is going to pay the increased price of
coal if the ceal miners win the fight
for a week of thirty working hours?
Obviously the public. So the final cost
of the reduced weekly productiveness
49,
the very people whom they disclaim
having a fight against-the public.
This conflict over 1.-The freedom to
strike is an inevitable conflict. Con-
gress will merely delay the issue and
intensity the misery if it do not meet
the issue courageously now. Con-
gressmen would be more than human
if they did not count the number of
votes that will be influenced by their
decision as to the freedom to strike"
Relatively few congressman. however,
need worry over antagonizing all the
labor union votes in America, for the
entire number of unionized workers
totals only 100000.
Samuel Gompers said recently:
I'm the American Federation of La
Dor we have unions which in total
number nearly 100000 members.
The four brotherhoods represent
100000. That means approximately
100000"
Mr.. Gompers tacitly assumes that
the entire 4,500,0O0 union workers will
fight for the freedom to strike" While
he may be correct in this assumption,
he overlooks the fact that not one
third of these union men are engaged
on public utilities, including railways,
and in coal mines-the two great
classes upon which the public is vital
ly dependent. Hence if congress were
to prohibit strikes only by members
of those two classes of workers, the
prohibition would not directly affect
the freedom Of more than one-third
of the 100000 union workers. These
100000 union men thus affected are
members of families totaling only s.
100000 people. So. looked at purely
from vote getting point of view. very
few congressman need worry about
continuing to hold their Jobs if they
vote according to their convictions as
to what restriction should be placed
upon 1.-The freedom to strike''
The prehistoric freedom to carry
weapons has been taken away from all
Americans not specially privileged. If
society can thus restrict one class of
freedom. it can restrict other classes.
Unless we misinterpret the temper of
the American people. continues Engi-
neering and Constructing, we are
about to witness a disarming of GER
tain strike-toting unions that will be
analogous to the disafming of gun
toting individuals thruout the country
shortly after the Civil war.