Year: 1877

RIGHTS And DUTIES or WORKMEN


We hear a great deal about the rights OF
laborers. That they have rights which 1t Is
the duty of society TO protect, no reasonable
man denies. But have employers no rights
The contract between the employer and the
employed is one of mutual benefit. Has the
one party the right to terminate 1t at pleasure,
but not the other There is not working
man in the land who would not think 1t III
famous if, without other reason than the known
necessities of his men, an employer should
discharge them all without notice or complaint,
IN the belief that they would offer to work at
lower wages in order to escape Immediate
want But what else does the workman 90,
when he conspires with other workmen to seIze
any advantage which temporary necessities Oh
an employer may give them, and thus force
him to pay wages which, III ordinary clrcum-
stances he could not he compelled to pay II
the one is infamous, is not the Otler1 III the
one is robbery of the men who are employed
is not the other robbery of the man who en-
plOys them


Legally. of course the workman has a right
to ouit when he pleases, and the employer has
q right to discharge him when he pleases. 1t
]
mlni,m. 10 make men respect their legal obi
CATIONS In view of the prevalent resort to
force and intimidation, it is not strange that
attention has been directed rather to these vio-
lations of pubic law than to other violations
of the moral and equitable obligations between
| employer and employed. But when the legal
| right of each party to terminate the contract
mt pleasure is settled-prOvided Of course, 1t
/ is not in terms an engagement for DEFINITE
/ periOd-then arise obligations OF honor de-
! cencv and fairness between men, which every
civilized community enfOrces against employ
crs. and which it is time for the employed also
| to regard.


| What decency is there in taking wages, and
mt the same time cOnsplring to ruin the man
who pays them The payment OF wages is a
| division of earnings, and the man who pays
has n right to feel that those who take his
money have some interest in the success of
the business that feeds them. Workmen are
perfectly conscious of this obligation. In Sc
cret and by stealth, as BELTS deed felt to
he shameful and dishonoable, they conspire
together, if they plan against the man who
DAVIS them wages for full and fair service, and
relies upon their manhood and fidelity. Not





touch their plans-but because they know it
is an indecent and cowardly thing to betray
trust they conspire, if at all, with all possible
secrecy against those who rely upon Their and
i there a single workman who would not feel
inclined to throttle any knavish clerk, IT,
trusted by his employer, he should use the
knowledge of his business to ruin hint But
what else are they doing, who are trusted and
paid, and yet meet IN secret to league them
selves by obligations to ruin that employer II
they cant


We hope that the time will not soon come
when American wOrkmen will become incapa-
bic of perceivng the degradation of such Il
| breach of trust. If it ever comes the en-
plover Will be justified in regarding every
workman who takes his money as an enemy
| i'm disguise and will be foolish if lie gives to
such workmen any consideration or aid which
he would not give to a known but trcacherOus
! foe. Is it this spirit which wOrkmen ought to
cultivated On the contrary, do they not know
that advancing civilization recognizes them
each year more clearly, as the partners Of the
employcr, who have absolute power to share
in his profits, but who must also, whether they
nlease or not, share III his mistOrtuncs! If
| they push MN 10 ldhulc uh'y V"No Vi" "io"u
from their own mouths. Are the men of the
Pennsylvania Road more likely to get good
wages since the destruction OF eight millions
belonging to that road


WOrkmen have a right to quit work when
ever they please, if contracts do not prohibit
il. Then the employer and employed appeal
TO the market for labor. The employer tries
to get as good work for less wages, and if he
fails. he loses. The employed, who declare
that they can get more, look elsewhere for
better wages. and if they fail, they have taken
the risk and must lose. Bat when men con-
spire together, intending TO deprive the en-
ployer of IA free market III which to look for
labor, in what respect do they differ from those
who gamble with loaded dice 7 Both parties
have right to free market, but il is the
vely object Of the trades union to make sue