The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-03-18

change OF views on the COnStl1
newspaper publisher.
Giving the historical background of
the Constitutional provisions guaran-
teeing freedom to the American work
er, Olander pointed out that prior to
1860, the common man-the man who
worked for wages or for salary-had
no guarantee of liberty under the Bid
of Rights.
"In the field of labor" he said, ''he
was subject to the law of each sepa
rate state.
I'm witness of this, l direct atten-
tiOn to the clause Article ~ of the
Constitution providing for the recap
ture in all state of any person held to
service or labor in any state. There
was no color line stated, and none in
tended
'The Madison minutes of the Con-
Stituti0nal Convention record Il motion
'to require fugitive slaves and servants
to be delivered up like criminals The
slaves were Negroes who were gen
eraly held for life. The servants We're
mainly white workers of all callings
bound to service for a term of years.
"The subject of so-called runaway
workers, and methods of recapturing
them, was Il matter of grave concern
in the American colonies. That is
plainly indicated by colonial laws and
practices extending over a very long
period of time. White workers We're
advertised as 'runaways,' like slaves
even after the Constitution had gone
into effect No man could cross Il state
line with any guarantee under the
federal constitution that he would re-
main free"
Olander recalled that ION December
IS, 1865, the great event took place
which completely revolutionized the
Constitutional status of American
workers." adding:
THAT was when the Thirteenth
Amendment, outlawing slavery and in
voluntary servitude, was ratified thus
multiplying the capture clause in Article
Nv.
"The effect?" 1t was this:
it still is, the only nation in all his
tory that has placed in a written Con
stitution, not subject to modification by
the national legislative body, a com
plete and unqualified guarantee of
freedom of the person in the field of
labor.
THAT is the basic freedom from
which all other liberties flow and with
out which they are of no avail
The speaker declared that "the so
called job freezing policy, recently de-
veloped through 'gentlemenS agree
ments,' is designed to arbitrarily hold
workers to the service of their enl-
ployers," and asserted that that prac-
tice is a violation of the Thirteenth
Amendment.
when established by administrative
edict, or by law" he said, 1T conSt;-
tutes a form of Sertdom. Webster de
fines the word serf as Il person who
is bound . to the soil and more OF
less subject to the will of the owner
of the soil The soil of course was
simply the place of employment. That
was the original job freezing scheme.
"rhe right to refuse to work for a
designated master or employer is the
basic right definitely declared in the
Constitution. That is the fundamental
right which marks the essential dif-
ference between the free man and the
Serf or slave
Olander observed that "the wal
powers of the American government
set forth in Article |, are exceedingly
great" but warned that there can
however, be no legal power, even il
war, to do that which is forbidden by
the Constitution"
1T is automatic" he said, in conclu
sion, that the willing service of fret
men is far more productive than tht
forced labor of others driven under The
lash of compulsion.
DO the workers of America fulll
realize that they now face the grea
test of their freedom?
They must be told that, as free
citizens sovereign citizens, if yol
is their duty and their responsibility
to voluntarily meet every nationa
need in the field of civilian labor. lie
it be heralded from every houSetol
that as the freeSt workers on earth
and the happiest in peace, they mus
now prove that they are also tn
strongest and most reliable in war"