Show RIGHTS OF THE EMPLOYED j Judge Dundy has explained his recent re-cent ruling which caused such a stir in labor circles It really amounts to what every sensible man admitted before It was rendered The right of employers to offer reduced wages to workmen or to determine that they will only pay a certain price for labor cannot be reasonably disputed On the other hand the employed have an equal right to decline such wages and to quit work unless under contract for a given period Call that a strike or what you please the working man would be a slave if he had not that right or was deprived of its exercise Conspiracy to stop any enterprise in which the public have a direct or an indirect interest is another thing Organization Or-ganization to prevent working people accepting of the terms which others reject is In the same nature as such a conspiracy Both may be forbidden and punished by law But the right of working people whether on railroads or any other place or occupation requiring a large number of hands to keep it in successful success-ful operation lo refuse to work on other terms than those for which they were engaged whether it be a question of time or money seems to be so clear that no one could dispute It in reason The idea that a court would hold to the contrary was something astounding Yet that was the impression obtained O < iii w J from Judge Dundys reported decision i until he explained it to the contrary The wisdom or unwisdom of strikes is altogether another question The liberty or bondage that comes from combinations of men who have to submit sub-mit to the dictation of labor leaders is also a different matter It is worthy i the deepest consideration of working I people Jn these times of general distress dis-tress and economical expedients whether it is for their best good to insist in-sist on the wages of former times or bend to the blast for awhile until the storm blows over and the sun of calm prosperity shines forth again Good judgment rather than blatant declama I tion is wanted in the emergencies of I the hour |