The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-01-02
JUDGE STAFFORD
ON THE RIGHT
TO STRIKE R K !
Rutlarl Herald Comments Gin HI:
Bennington Address h

Speaking in Bennington Sunday
night Judge Wendell p. Stafford ut
tered some notable expressions in re-
gard. to the labor situation, with
especial reference to the pending leg
islation for the return of the rail
roads to their owners. Considering
the fact that the speaker is a more
or less potential candidate for
United States senator, the speech is
of more than ordinary Importance
After outlining the right of the
community or majority to act for the
whole as against the claims of the
few, he took the position nrmly that
public servants could not strike for
the purpose Of forcing the people to
do their will. Otherwise, he said:
"Firemen can do it in the face Of
a confagration. Policemen can do
it in the midst of a riot. Is that
right? Can that be tolerated? Yet
l need not remind you Of what hap
pened in Liverpool short time ago
when the mob swept through the
streets and wrecked the stores, while
the police stood by and watched it;
nor what happened more lately in
Chicago, in Montreal, in Boston.
Disclaiming any prejudice against
labor unionism, Judge Stafford said
that on the contrary the unions had
done a tremendous amount of good.
"They have succeeded" he said, "and
sometimes against fearful odds IL
Wrestling from the greedy hands OF
richer classes a fairer portion OF the
products of their toll we
all rejoice in that"
The speaker however, was out
spoken against the proposition to
make the people subject to the dom
nation of any union Except the
union of these United States"
The situation was described by
Judge Stafford in which, after our
having recognized the right OF labor
to unite and strike at any time with
all its power, it now stands prepared
to say to the country
"Hand over the roads to us: let
us fix our own wages, or we VIII
leave you in the lurch. We propose
to have what we consider is our due
or YOU must take the chance of ruin
to the country and starvation to the
people"
This, the speaker urged, was the
result of considering men IN pubic
as on the same basis as
those in private enterprises. he
took the ground boldly and uAcom-
that legislation against
such strikes must be had:
."What is the way out! The way
nut is to retrace our steps and rec
pgnize the fact The fact Is that the
men who engage in a service hike
that are not private employees but
public servants. To use an expression
that socialists admire, they are sold
ers of the common good And they
AVE no more right to strike than any
,ther soldier has. That is what Is
light in the moral sense; it must be
made the test of what is right in the
epal sense. The law must be so
changed that when men engage Ill
service of that character it shall be
/. crime to strike"
Answering the, charge that this
night constitute industrial slavery,
Judge Stafford said that there is
nothing in such a proposal to prevent
my individual from quitting public
when he so desired, but
ould not quit it in combination with
'thers when it put in hazard the
cry existence of the community.
Then it outreached the bounds of lib /
rty and became conspiracy.
Judge Stafford's remedy is, in
act fundamental with, the constitu-
ion and form of government of the :
J United States. 1t calls for the rule of
he majority and the determination
y the legislature national or state,
f what it a public utility-a business
n which the public depends for its
ontinued life. That being deter
lined, he would consider employees
1 such business as enlisted in the
alvice of the United States and de-
AIRED thereby from engaging in
trikes.
The position is bold one, but
ne cannot doubt, in reading Judge P
strong and logical presen-
,tion of the public's case, that he
IS arrived at the conviction after a
and diligent study into the
w, the facts and the fundamental n
ght of the public-as a whole, not
) part-to life, liberty and the d
insult of happiness.