Year: 1864

LAW AND lABOE.


At an early period Of the present session OF
our Legislature, Mr.. Hastings of Rensselaer,
submitted to the Senate short and simple bill
designed to protect from assault and violence
persons who might see fit to work at lower prices
than those established by Trades Unions, and
who might thereby incur the active hostility of
the members of those combinations. That bill
which we have already printed-was referred
to the Judiciary Committee, from which Mr..
Folger in due time reported it amplified as fol-
lows:


SEc Bsitenaciod &c Thatifan person shall by yi0-
lcnce the person property o. or ny threats or tm-
idatons or by moles.lng or IN any way obsThciihB
another force endoayOr 70 force any iourne! man
manufacturer workman OF other person hired or EN-.
pluyed in any manufacture trade business To depart
from his hiring. employment or work OF return his
work before the shall be finished or prevent or
endeavor 10 prevent journeyman or other person
not being hired employed from hiring himself 20 or
from accepting work or employment from any person
or persons or If any person shall use violence 10 the
pers n or property Of another threats or iniimda-
tons shall modest or in any way obsiruct another Tor
the purpose Of forcing inducing snch person To belong
TO any cub association, or 10 contribute 10 any com
mon fund 10 pay any hne penalty on account oI ms
not belonging to particular club or not having con
trbuted, or having refused to oontribute tn an! com
fund.- Ia pay any fine or penalty or on account
Of his not having complied With any rules orders. &C.
&C. made obtain advance 10 reduce the rate OF
wages TO lessen alter the quantity OF work or to
regulate the mode Of carrying any manufacture.
trade or business the management thereof or II any
person shall do violence 10 the person or property Of
another by threats intimidation, or IN any way OBJ
structng another: or force cndeayOr 10 force
manufacture any person carrying on any uduc or
business TO make alteration In his mode "i TcgEht
ing or conducting the same. 10 limit the number of
his jouTneymen, workmcn or servants he shall on con
yicfion be deemed guilty Of q misdemeanor aud pun
ishcd according TO law.


Src And be Il 6rtler enari,d That this act .hnIl
not extend or subject any persons t. punishment VINO
shall meet together for the sole purpose Of consulting
upon and determining the rate OF wages or prices
which the persons present at such meeting or any o
them shall demand for bis tLer work. or ths hours
or time for which either be or they shall sorki or who
shall enter into any agreement amonG tAeihseNet Tor
such purpose, and persons 80 meeting ioT the purposes
aforesaid entering into such agreement shall not be
liable TO any prosecution or penalty for ~ doing any
law statute to The contrary Notwithstanding.


SEC g. and BE- a. further enacted That this act shall
not extend or subject any persons to punishment who
shall meet together for the sole purpose OF consulting
and determining the rate Of wages OF prices which the
persons present at such meeting any Of them, shall
pay TO his their journeymeD, wOrkmeB or servants
for their work the hours or time Of working OF VINO
shall enter into any agreement among Themselves for
the purpose Of fixing the rate Of wages prices or
the hours time Of working in any manufacture trade
business, and that persons 80 meeting for the puI
poses aforesaid entering into any agreement as
aforesaid shall not be liable 10 any prosecution or
penalty for doing nBy law or statute to tie contrary
Notwithstanding.


1T was formerly part Of tho Common Law
that q combination and agreement 10 require
certain specified rates Of compensation for a
given service, and not to work for less, was q
msdemeanor, subjecting those engaged in it to
punishment. 1t was 80 held and adjudgcd by
John Savage, Democratic Chief Justice Of this
State. who sentenced working men to punish
ment accordingly. This act is not content with
allowing such combination and agreement: it
expressly afiirms and protects the right OF com.
bination as aforesaid, repeating all laws incon-
sstent Herewith And so far we think all
working men will admit that it is right.


But there are many who appear to consider
Liberty as implying their right to do as they
may sec fit, and to make others do likewise.
And whenever you find a laboror who thinks ii
perfectly proper and right that other working
men should be sold at auction to the highest
bidder, and their wives and children to Other
bidders, often living hundreds Of miles apart,
you may be sure he will hate and denounce
such bill as we have printed above.


We are not convinced that any good would
result from the passage Of Mr.. Folger's bill


We suspect that there is force in the objection
that the acts it reprobates are already misde
meanors, punishable under existing laws. Ar
act which simply reiterates penalties already
denounced, is prima facie needless and nu
| sance. We incline TO the belief that Mr.. Fol
gers bill, if enacted would do more harm thar
good.


But this does not blind us TO the fact that Tho
representations and assertions by which this bill


is opposed are grossly unjust and abusive. We
believe at least dozen working mems meeting;


TO denounce this bill have been held in our city


yet We cannot leaxn that tho bill itself has
once been fairly and fully read to one of them
But, instead of this it is assailed bv such asser