Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-02-24

The closed shop policy means restriction in the
choice of workmen in the purchase of material in the
number of apprentices and in the output Because
labor is property this policy is deprving the laborer
and the employer the rights of contract for such labor
thereby violating the fundamental principle OF Amer
lean democracy However, II such restriction becomes
necessary it should be of public and gov
ernmenta regulation and not the business of organ
zaton organized for the benefit of one class. Such
change would neceSstate constitutional amendment
multiplying the right to personal liberty
When our forefathers proclaimed their Declara-
ton OF Independence in their immortal preamble they
spoke of certain inalienable rights meaning certain
inherent and GOdgven rights granted to every man
born into this world and rights of which he might not
be deprived Among these certain nalienable rights
the right of the American aborer to sell his labor
to whom he chose at whatever price he and his pur
chaser agreed upon and in the pursuit of his vocation
he to be his arbter the only other party taken
into consideration being the employer Therefore the
rights claimed then, are not only inherent and God
given but they guaranteed by the makers of the
Declaration of Independence and the drafters of the
Constitution and hence no attempt may be made to
abrdge these rights in the interest OF any Glass; wheth
er it be a capitalists monopoly or labor trust.
Then if the closed shop deprives man of his in
dvduaism and his property is it in harmony with the
democratic principles of our government and is 1T
legal? The closed shop is not democratic in that it
tends to create monopoly in favor of the union men
to the exclusion of nOn4uniOn limiting its men,
bershp not only by refusal to the union but also by de-
handing tremendous initiation fees The closed shop
is illegal at common law because it discrimnates
against class and grants monopoly of labor. The
contracts of the closed shop have proved criminal
spraces and unlawful by the Supreme Courts of Con-
necticut Massachusetts and New York, and by the APP
pelate Court of Cook County, ILL.,
We have shown that the closed shop deprves
a of his individuasm, the employer and the en-
ployee of their property that it lowers men to me-
diocre level that the industry of the country affect
ed in that the limitation of output is great that the
right of individual contract is denied and finally that
the closed shop is illegal and undemocratc thereby be-
ing contrary to the American principles of Democracy
Now the situation in the open shop is entirely diff
ferent. may be employed where he wishes
without belonging to any union, the employer may
ploy whom he thinks fit to the best work, personal
merit will increase the pay check, will not be
forced to go strike because union leader in
other part of the country orders him to do so,
the output is not limited because every will be paid
according to what he accompishes and therefore he
will have an incentive to prompt him to work harder
and better and finally the open shop is legal and dem
ocratc thereby being in perfect accord with the Amer
lean system of government.
Because the open shop will benefit the aborer, the
public and the employer believe that the principle of
the open shop should be maintained in industry.