The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-21
THE FRIGHT TO QUIT"

The republican publicity association through its pres
ident, Hon. Jonathan Bourne Jr today gave out the
following statement from its Washington Headquarters:
In demanding the right to quit, members of labor
unions are asking than legal and proper That
right has always existed in America unless qualified by
special agreement. In many establishments it is the
custom to provide in the agreement for employment that
the employer employee will give specified notice of
intention to terminate the employment this agreement
having for its purpose protection of both the emnover
and the employee from the embarrassmens of unexpected
change of relations
Agreements of that kind extremely desirable be-
cause they conducive to continuous operation of
business On the hand the agreement assures the
employer that he need not fear unexpected interruption
OF his work and the other it gives the employee as
surance that before he is thrown out of one Job he will
have reasonable opportunity hunt for another The
two weeks notice, thirtyday notice is protection not
only to the workman but to his family dependent upon
his weekly wage dto his groceryman, likewise de
pendent
1T follows therefore, that although the right to quit
is and must always be nalienabe right in the final
analysis, 1t is lawful and desirable for employers and
employees to qualify that right by each agreeing not to
act in such as to cause needless loss or injury
to the other. Such agreement is no more than the
express acknowledgment of what constitutes a moral
obligation.
And where the entire public is interested in the EN-
poyment in the of public service concerns such
as railroads telegraph and telephone lines the postal
service, police departments city lighting and similar
services it is not only proper but desirable that there
shall be further agreement that the EMPLOYEES will not
quit their employment by concerted action in such way
as to cripple the service. An agreement to give two
weeks notice is of avail in protecting the employer
of large numbers of if the purpose of that agree
ment be evaded by all the employees giving notice
at the same time and all quitting the employment unde,
circumstances which make impossible for the employer
to fill their places.
In the case of ordinary employers of large numbers
of men, the agreement not quit by concerted actor
is individually made as matter of wise management o.
business But in the of public service employment
the people have stake than the owners or man
ayers Of the business No man can be required to take
in a public service, except, perhaps, in
great public emergency requiring establishment of mar
al law, but every man who does voluntarily take such
way to endanger public health, peace and safety.
1.-THE right to quit is an individual personal right and
with due consideration for the public interest should
BE exercised Individually and personally The right of
he public to continuous operation of public utilities is
collective, public right superior in Importance to the
Individual right to quit. The right to quit does not
AIRY with it the right to destroy either by violently
emolshng property by destroying the operating or
anizaton of public service. The man who takes a
ubic service employment and then betrays his trust
conspiring with others to quit in a body, thus i'm il
airing the service, should be forever barred from re-
Employment in that service" 4