Going Too Far | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 15, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 42.

Going Too Far.

The Cornice Makers' Union recently called a strike of the employees of the Eagle Cornice Works, No. 333 E. Second Street,—, and the men obeyed, altho they were perfectly satisfied with the treatment they were receiving, $3.50 a day for eight hours' work. The conditions in the shop are the same as have prevailed for the last three years. The walk-out is the result of the work of the hired labor agitators.

The pretended grievance is that four of the proprietors of the Eagle corporation insist upon the privilege of working in their own shop. The president of the firm has charge of the office work, while his three partners work at the bench alongside the hired journeymen. The rules of the union permit only one boss to work in a shop; also they do not admit of an employer joining the union. So the only way out of the trouble was for the three partners to get out of their own business and join the union. And this demand was actually made upon these employers. Of course, it was refused, and the strike was on. The shop had been a strictly union shop for three years, and there had never been any dissatisfaction either with the wages or hours.

The inconsistency of such demands is too apparent to need calling attention to; but they are becoming more clamorous, more insistent, more unreasonable, and are encroaching more and more upon the rights of those who risk their means in business enterprises. We can not for a moment uphold the employer who oppresses or underpays his hands; but there are demands which labor agitators have made and are making that are as unreasonable and unjust as the acts of many an oppressive capitalist in dealing with his employees. Let reason and justice rule; let each look upon the other as a brother man whose rights and liberties are as sacred as his own. In other words, let the Golden Rule be followed by all parties, and the vexing problems of life will cease to vex; for the problems will then be solved.