Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-09-03
Restrained by Sentiment.

Restrained ny Sentiment.
Tho reason for tho unrest OF the
period since the arm!s,!rc. Novcm-
Der II. 1918. is no; FAR 10 seek re-
dictionary employers. great financial
interests and tho enemies Of labor
generally were under an UNUSUAL
restraint during tho war. was
impossible FOR them 20 conduct u
domestic warfare that would have
weakened tho military power q! the
country. They wcr" compelled by
force OF circumstances 10 deal more
fairly with The workers than Il VAS
their desire TO do. They could not
accept the responsibility FOR great
strikeH and lockouts bccaus. tho
country would not havc tolerated
such conduct. Accordingly tho
workers gained in strength and
were ablc 20 proven, war imitation
from utterly destroying their stand
ards OF living.
Peace n Signal for War.
Tho signing OF tho arm.s;ice re-
moved the restraint on employers
and they resolved to mako the mo s.,
q what they conceived TO be thc!r
tS't'i opportunity.
Whether tho course OF conduct
that has been followed rince tho
arm!stice was by common consent
or b. elaborate prcarranremcnt IS
OF small material importance The
fact is that employers have banded
together In practically every com
'nunity and on national scale for
the destruction OF the voluntary or
..aniza'ions Of The workers
Co!nc!ient with tho inauguration
OF what has been known IA, tho
"opcn-shog" campoign-un absolute
misnomcr--th"re came what was
known as tho p"rlod o: dcnn,Ion.
Those who stood sponsor FOR the
so-caiied "oDon-shop" campaign and
those who woro back OF tho nova
.9ent FOR financial dcnation e.Ized
epon Mr.. Hard!uG's cry o. back 10
noTmaicy'' without delay and ac-
eented II as fu!! approval o: ,heir
policy.
Tho campaign Of employers IN
INDUSTRY had for !ts obtec; the re-
auction OF wages. tho establishment
OF honunion shop conditions and the
obstruction o: the unionu. which
on the part OF tho workers.
Unemployment became acute.
teaching Us peak during the winter
Just passed. There arc no exact nC-
ores, but tho best calculation sccrns
TO DO that fully 100000 workers
were thrown into !dlcncss al the
point OF greatest depression.
Tho New Injunction Thrrnt.
Not only were there these gigantic
FORCES nj work in the Industrial Acld
as such. but forces almos, equally
as aEgravatinr were at work IN mo
political and judicial fields. There
mas been. during tho pas, Year.
growing tendency TO rcspr. TO tn.
use Of the Injunction In ;ndus,rl,.
disputes for tho purpose OF com
handing workers to do those things
which they have a lawful r!gh; 10
refrain from doing and OF command
ing them 10 refrain from doing those
things which they havo Il Iawt,l
right TO do.
There has been persistent cnor,
10 bring about tho establishment o.
government tribunals for tho com
pulsory settlement OF Industrial dis
putcs and FOR tho PREVENTION Of
strikes. III most attempts o: this
character the Railroad Labor Board
ans! the Kansas Court OF Industrial
Relations have been accepted as
models.
1t is true that because Of tho alert
ness Of trade un!onists cvcrywhcro
there has been no extension ~ tho in
dustral court Idea. but tho efforts Of
those who favor such institutions
have not been relaxed FOR a moment.
1t has been sough; Ia establish gov
eminent tribunals under one name or
another in number OF States and
similar efforts have boen made 70 in
duce tho national Congress TO es-
t5hl!sh such an Institution.
Futflity of 1ndustrinl nonrds
II Is the prime purpose of such
tribunals to make s,r:kcs unlawful
and TO mako It obligatory for work
ers TO give service under conditions
imposed by what amounts 10 judicial
decision. Tho Inevitable results Of
the establishment of such tribunals
IA. 70 been found in Kansas under
the Kansas Court OF Industrial Re-
lations and on the railroads under
the Railroad Labor Board.
Neither one OF these outstanding
examples of tho Industrial eour,
idea has succeeded In preventing
strikes. On tho contrary. In both
cases tho utter !uttlity OF the whole
idea has been completely demon
In the realm OF judicial decisions
there also has been much to create
resentment In the minds o: tho
workers. The decision in the case
Of tho Coronado Coal Company
versus tho United Mine Workers OF
America Is naturally tho most i'm
portant example In the field OF hos
tito court decisions. In this case
the decision itself was favorable TO
the workers. but tho court went on,
OF It's way to Introduce an obitcr
dictum which will apply in future
decisions. and which was in n most
important and far-reaching sense
hostile to tho voluntary organixa-
tfons OF wa~c- earncrs
The Child Labor Decision.
lust preceding tho Coronado case.
thero came the decision in tho case
OF tho child labor law. For the
second time tho United States Sn-
nremo Court declared this most
neflcial and necessary legislation
constitutional. Under this decision
? children of our land were again
iit prey to tho nvarice and greed
OF employers. Tho resentment or
our people nvorywhcro was aroused
BY this decision. and II may we'll no
that as result tho Supreme Cour,
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