The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-05
Federal Board With PolUer to
 Fix Wage and Transportation Scales Needed UnderWood

to take the place Of force ana violence. Finally the Norman civillza- tion wiped out private vengeance aud reprisals which the Saxon kings had tolerated and established in their places a public administration of jus tice, even though the law was crude and force was not entirely abandoned For centuries after the Norman era in England, although murder and the1t were declared to be crimes, and JUS tice administered in the courts. the landowner possessed the right to dis possess his tenant by force or person. ally take possession of his property and sell it to pay the rent. Today we would regard such procedure by a landowner as unwarranted, ana tue of the land would restrain hiln from taking such a radical and force- full step.
 We have at last reached an era. so far as the protection of property IS where there is no property righ. that is not recognized. and where the courts provide remedy to pro- tect every such right. Yet, in this age of advanced civilization, we hesitate to protect with the law the right-the right of man, the right that must always go hand in hand with liberty of person and freedom of ac- tion-the right of a free man to earn a living wage. Without this right, labor must always occupy servile po- sition. or must maintain the right it. self by force. We must recognize thai labor and capital are still largely left to settle their controversies by the primitive methods of strikes, boycott> and lockouts, merely restrained in slight degree by the law that is in tended to protect property, and not in- tended to protect the right of labcr. These remedies have been difficult to control in the past, and often have re- suited in the attempt to reach de- termination by brute force on one side or the other, instead of an appeal to reason. The toilers of America hava been left to a large extent to extort economic justice by refusing to woi k, and have often carried their appeal to force so far as to destroy both life and property when other laborers were willing to take the places they had left vacant. In the past decade this condition has prevailed in many parts of our country and it seems to pre- vail without the desire either on the part of labor or on the part of cap- ital to accept more civilized method of settling their disputes.
 RIGHTS OF PUBLIC
 "If only the employer and the em- ploye were involved in the controversy the government might continue to blind its eyes to the rights involved in the disputes, the justice that should prevail and allow force on one side or force on the other side to. prevail in the final! settlement, but each day combined cap ital broadens it's field of action and each day union labor extends it's field of con- trol. The labor battle of the past in volved narrow field. Today it is threat ing to become nationwide in it's scope and a controversy that had a limited effect on those not actually involved in the past, today seriously threatens the happiness and prosperity of all the peo- pie of the nation.
 Must the government continue to view this question from the standpoint of the contending parties, or has the time come when the rights and the happiness of all the people demand that primitive force must give way 10 the law of civil ization and permanent courts must de- termine the rights of labor, as well as the rights of property? It must be ad- mitted candidly that when courts were established to protect life and property, the blood feud passed away from civilized communities. The clan was no longer necessary for the protection of the rights of individuals. and a forward step to fredom was achieved. The same will be true when tribunals are established to determine disputes between labor and capital Competitive bargaining will no longer exist. Wages that increased or diminished by force will be a thing of the past. Labor values will be recognized and protected by law. I do not wish to be understood to assert that labor has not been recognized by law in the past We have employers liability acts, restric- ton of hours of labor, and laws provid- ing for conditions of work, all passed in recognition of the right of labor to be protected in its efforts to secure daily wage. We have had laws passed ap- pointing boards of conciliation and arr bitration. and some have gone so far as to advocate the compelling of labor to work, pending the settlement of labor controversies, but nowhere and at no time nave we had a recognition of the fact that labor is thing of value. and that as thing of value it should have
 it's rights under the law and should be protected when its rights are assailed or jeopardized; that it should not be allowed to invade the rights of others in protecting it's own position.
 TO RESTRICT JUSTICE
 q recognize that self-preservation is the first impulse of human life; that when a workingman is oppressed when lis legal economic rights are denied. he is face to face with the question as to
 D whether he shall let his rights be trampled under foot, or whether he shall struggle and force better living condi- tions for himself and family. Until the law itself provides a way out. violence will be the last resort of the working man when he is compelled to suffer gross inequalities. Mankind almost uni versally approves of violence which is used to avenge or beat off injustice when there is no other remedy. Without pub lie justice, superior in power and force to that of all offenders, there can be no peace, no safety, no mutual inter course. To establish justice, to secure
 individuals and society in the enjoy ment of their rights, is the great duty of governments, and the principal req son why they are instituted among men. The ultimate goal of civilization will not be reached until a remedy is given by law for the violation of every right and every injury can find place for re- dress within the courts of our land
 Tn one if his opinions a great Eng fish justice once said: Tt were a vain thing to imagine that there should be a right without a wrong. for want of right and want of remedy are convert
 bles.'' Our own Chief Justice Marshall declared: "The very essence of civil lib- erty consists in the right of every indi- vidual to claim the protection of the laws, whenever he receives an injury One of the first duties of government is to afford that protection" Can we. in this enlightened age, fail to recognize a new province for law in the substitu- tion of peaceful methods for the settle ment of labor disputes. in place of vio- lent redress for economic injuries?
 ''I do not contend that we can arrive at the ultimate goal of o,ir desire in, =