Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-11-12
LABOR WISE IN MEETING GOV
ERNM ENTs DEMAND.

ERNM ENTS DEMAND.
1FHH cardinal principle that ever!
b born American. or any citizen wh'
has adopted this country, NEST recog-
niss the supremacy of the government
ut al times and in all matters, was
never more fittingly illustrated than
~ the decision of the officials of the
United Mine Workers of America to
comply with th~mandate Of the United
States district court and recall the
strike order sent to the bituminous coal
4 miners. 1t was a wise conclusion to
reach. Labor never took a more law
abiding~ste Acting President Lewis
and his lieutenants. still confident in
their own minds the strike was justi-
fed, determined not to attempt to chal-
/ lenge the United States in a show down
/ labor, fight. Had the United Mine
Workers of America deied the gov
eminent, organized labor would be
given setback from which it would
take many years to recover.
What Lewis and other labor heads,
Including no less a leader than Samuel
Gompers, have failed to take into con-
sideration is the fact that they were
backing a plan to indefinitely tie up
commodity that is one of life's neces-
stiles; commodity that millions of
non union consumers as well as union
consumers must have. They had for
gotten that in the United States there
are many more people who must have
coal outside of >the ranks of union Ia
Dor than there are within. 1t would bel
just as unfair to shut off the supply
Of coal from the general public as 1t
In the United States to strike and re-
fuse to dispose OF that necessity of life
to public that must have it.
The United Mine Workers of America
made mistake when they pushed
their cause to such a limit as to call
on the miners to walk out, forcing the
department of justice of the United
States to no other alternative but to
turn to the courts for an injunction
order. The government demonstrated
Its ability to take a firm hand in a
situation of many disastrous possibili-
ties unless managed carefully. Labor |
leaders forced the department to stand |
I'm defense Of the broad principle that
such commodity as coal can not be
withheld from the consumer. Organ
lied labor nor any other organiza-
ton can not defy the United States.
Phe government is supreme and it is
well that the officers of the United
Mine Workers os America recognized
that fact. They have placed country
before organization.
The denunciation of the government
by Samuel Gompers was as untimely as
IT was unfortunate. Instead of adj
|vising the miners to hold out, Mr..
|Gompers and the American. Federation
pr Labor should have counseled eau
tion and advised them to comply with
khe courts mandate. President Com
pers calls attention to the hazardous
work of the miner and their isolation
Focially all Of which is readily admit
ted. He states in one breath they are
Deprived of sunshine and fresh air.
which is true while they are under
ground, and in the next admits they are )
eboye ground practically half the year. "a
Mr.. Gompers surely will concede that I
bOmeone must mine the coal and that i
There are men engaged in that occu- J
patton who know no other trade IF, &c
Instead OF supporting a strike called d
n the opening of winter when coal a
bust be had, Mr.. Gompers had devoted c
Pis ability to working out plan by t
Fhich the miners can be given better ls
|ocial conditions and more continuous
FORK he would be doing real service
pr organized labor. Instead he finds t
himself and the American Federation v
a Labor in an awkward position in
hce Of the action of the United Mine (
Workers of America.