The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-09-16
Greensboro Daily News.)


Well, thank heaven, South Caro-
lima has a state government that is
not paralytic, and we can gather the
crumbs that fall from our neighbor's
table. The Charlotte strike has
been settled on the basis Of agree
ment reached in Greenville, S. c.,
through the good Offices OF a mem
Der Of the South Carolina concilia-
tion board. Now IL High Point only
had branch in South Carolina, we
might see capital and labor there ex-
changing something other than warm
language and ancient eggs.
At the very moment when our sis
ter state kindly furnished us with a
way out OF one of our troubles, the
attorney-general of North Carolina
was searching vainly for some au-
thorization for our own state govern
ment to take a hand. The search
should not have been in vain. We all
see that now, but will the legislature
see 1t when it next meets? 1t will
not be to the present advantage of
capital for the legislature to see it,
for capital has the advantage of all
the written law now; but it will GER
tainly be to the advantage OF the
peace and dignity OF the state for It
to be seen.
1t Is time for us toke conizance.
in our statutes, OF the fact that, as
n mo- liNyat l.
runneth business unto himself A
manufacturer, for instance may all
the deeds in his own name and be
in full possession OF every legal right,
but for all that he is under certain
obligations to the men. whose labor
has gone into the upbuilding of his
business-obligations that cannot be
written off on the payroll He owes
them decent working conditions, for
one thing; even the law recognizes
that, no matter how much he pays, if
he fails to provide reasonable safe
guards of life and limb he is liable in
case of accident
But there is another moral obli-
cation which has never been incor-
porated in a statute and probably
never can be, because the acts in a
given case would be too difficult of
determination-that is the obligation
OF reasonable premanency Of en-
ployment. That rule works both
ways, and is too lightly regarded by
both sides. The employer has a right
TO expect his men to stick to their
jobs as long as they are decently
treated; the men have an equal right
to expect jobs to be provided as long
as they work honestly at them.
strike, except as a protest against
intolerable oppression, or a lockout
except to avoid an imminent catas-
trophe. Is therefore a violation of a
moral obligation. A strike or a lock
out is declaration OF industrial war:
and ne who goes to war without the
gravest reasons is a moral DELINQUENT
OF an exceedingly dangerous type.
You can't write a statute prohibit
ing strikes ond lockouts any more
iting war; but you can write statutes
that will materially decrease the like
lhood of industrial war being de-
clared. You can set up an impartial
tribunal, and give it power to ex-
anime into every situation which
menances industrial peace. so that the
public shall at least know who Is
right and who is wrong; and the side
that is in the wrong and knows tha,
an Impartial investigation will re.
veal that 1t Is in the wrong, will think
twice before it incurs the popular
displeasure that would certainly fol.
low such a revelation.
Take the High Point situation. for
example. Labor has right to or.