Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-16
THE INDIVIDUALS OBLIGATION

In his Helena address, after expressing the shame
and Indignation which svssy Ssif.respecttnt American
must feel because u the facc rtoS which have rsasntty
occurred, President wilson nAentioaed the police strike in
Boston. In that connection he declared that the obAsa-
ton Of the policemen Is as sacred ~ that Of tho soldier;
that he liz a public se<vant and not a private employee;
that the whole honor and safety Of the community Is in
has hands: and that he has no right to prefer any private
advantage to tho public's safety.
Those ntatenents are unanswerabie az applied "a the
man whose duty 1t ~ to defend the nation ftern external
attack Or TO him whose business 1t In to maintain domestic
tranquility. In what manner docs the obligation OF these
men differ from that Of the great masses Of men engaged
in the industries. tbs commerce and the ordinary bust
ness activities OF the country? And In Whist way are tho
results Of delinquency in the one case likely to b% more
Eertous than In the other?
For weeks thousands OF people in the northwest have
been waiting to put in their winters supply OF coal. The
conditions arc such that It. Ia necessary that 4 large share
Of the wintet's consumption Of coal IN THE territory shall
be stored In the bins Of the conls1nars in the eAriy fall.
II. at the beginning Of winter, the docks at the head Of
the lakes were piled with mountains Of coal. 1t would be
a physical inpossibiihy to move It over the railroads to
the pcints OF consumption fast enough to meet the exig-
encies OF the ordinary winter. For weeks boats have been
lying at tho Duiuth docks. laden with coal, Ana not 4
pound could be unloudcd becaNae the dockmen were on
. strike. Those boats have now left Duluth to distribute
the coal at other points, and the coal thus diverted viii
never be/headsd this way again. Just - surely - the
rising Of the gun tomorrow the people Of tho northwest
viii before spTing be crying tor coal. with no coal to b.
had. Ia there no obligation in 4 case like this? Il II q
matter of no consequence that the entire people Of a
great district shall freeze, or. falling short Of freezing.
that they will be put to such straits that the ordinary
activities Of life will have to be suspended?
As our induatries are now intsrlocked and snterds
pendent. 1t Is impossible for a great strtke to be carried
out In any important industry without bringing suasrins
on thousands OF innocent and helpless people who know
nothing Of tho causes OF the controversy. and without the
grave danger Of bringing death TO very many Of them.
We have passed the stage where a strike means merely
. temporary Inconvenience 10 An Individual, possibly Al
ohetinate and unreasonable one. The strike Of today
goes right 10 the very roots Of our lite, ana tbs results
dlre- little whethcr the strike he Of so-cal,ed pubic sew
ants or OF those engaged In prtvats industry.
We need today more than anything sse IN the world
the recognition OF individual responsibility and Of the
personal obligation Of the citizen. We need employers
trained in the conception Of duty toward their employees,
Of recognition of the right Of tho employees to fair trest-
nlent and fair wages. We need employees who arc wiling
to render good work for good pay. We need In both the
recognition of the duty that they owe to the public, the
duty Of productive and uninterrupted service. We need
on tho part of the public both the recognition Of the rights
Of employer and employee, and the courage and determ-
nination to sec that these rights arc enjoyed by both
parties without prejudice to tho service which the public
has a right to demand from both.
This principle Of responsibility and obligation should
be the central thought In the work Of our schools. tho
inspiration OF the work Of the churchae, the matnspr1nx
Of action In our legislative bodies, the governing impulse
IN the decisions OF our courts, and the keynote IN the life
Of the private citizen.