The Connecticut labor press., 1920-09-18

stores and housing associations.
 No man will be able to successfully claim the title of progressive in this or any ether campaign who does not sup
 port with all his power these, the con- structive and practical remedies against the profteers.
 Labor
 The right of labor to organize and to bargain collectively means the right
 freely to accept or refuse any offer of
 employment The free citizens of
 free country are their own judges of
 the conditions under which they con-
 sent to give their services. Labor a1-
 ways hopes to obtain the terms under
 which 1t is willing to work without ceas-
 ing work for 1t admits that the strike
 is far more costly to labor than it is to
 the rest Of the public. But the right
 to cease work cannot be restricted un-
 der a constitution which forbids human slavery, and the recourse to strikes will become less frequent only in propor- ton as the workers are given a larger voice III the management and control of udustry-whether under private or Gove rnment ownership.
 These rights of labor are under con tinued threat by legislative, judicial and administrative powers, but especially by
 the effort to revive the injunction and to apply compulsory arbitration to cer- tain groups of employees. Neither political platform offers to protect labor against attacks by the | courts. Neither supports the direct election of federal judges, limitation of the power of the Supreme Court over
 legislatoin, or anti-inj unction measures.
 In his letter of acceptance, Governor Cox opposes abuse of the injunction" Progressive candidates must be obliged definitely to endorse the Clayton Anti
 Injunction Act and demand the repeal of ali interfering legislation. Labor and its synpathizers will never
 accept compulsory arbitration in any form. In their platform the Democrats qualify the right of Government em- -ployes to strike by the ambiguous state
 ment that the rights of the people are
 paramount" This proposition, Gan
 scarcely be challenged, but 1t is artfully framed to hide the real question: The
 question is whether, under democracy,
 the people as whole can or do claim a
 right" to the involuntary labor of any
 citizens, except those under military
 discipline, or in time of war or rebel
 lion.
 The Republican platform, discussing
 the rights of Government employees,
 denies "the right to strike against the
 Government" This implies that when
 ever any employees attelnpt to obtain an
 economic claim from any public official
 y the peaceful methods of collective
 larealr1ing- collective bargaining
 means nothing unless 1t means the right
 10 refuse the bargain offered and, after
 duc notice and without violation of
 contract, to cease work-then such en- ployes are striging revolutionary blow
 at the sovereignty of the State On the contrary the fundamental difference
 between autocracy and democracy lies p p>rcisely Tn this, that in democracy the individual has rights even against the administration. The Republican platform suggests that methods of com-
 pulsory arbitration be extended to all
 public utilities, while Senator Harding,
 going further even than thk labor l clauses of the Cummins-Esch Act
 unanimously repudiated 1abor-urges that the Government might well stamp
 railway employment with the sanctity of public service and assure con- tiplity of service"
 either. Farty will present himself before
 any wage earning community on any
 S tch labor platforms. l he records of candidates on other
 of labor legislation" such as factory laws, will be paraded as camoufage be- fore the public, but these are secondary. All who seek the progressive vote must
 take plain position on the real labor issues:
 CD Do they advocate any form of compulsory arbitration for pri- vate or governmental en- ployes?
 (2) Do they favor injunctions or administrative action interfer- ing with the rights of organ lzation, free speech and assem- blaze?
 Knowing that a certain number of Congressional candidates of both par ties are already sound on these issues,
 we appeal to all earnest progressives, and especially to all social democrats
 to concentrate their energies and to use all available means to increase this
 number before the election and to vote
 only for such candidates as are sound
 on the League of Nations, Mexico,
 Prohteering and Labor's Rights.