Torch of reason., January 30, 1902, Page 2, Image 2

2
T H E T O R C H O F R E A S O N , S IL V E R T O N , O R E G O N , JA N U A R Y 30, E. M. 302 11902. )
m itted to in d u s tria l life can afford
to disregard. T h e co m p u lso ry a r ­
b itra tio n law d id not sp rin g o u t of
th eo ry , an d has not en d ed in th e o ry .
It w as th e rem ed y so u g h t as a w ay
of escape from p ra c tic a l e m b a rra s s ­
m en ts of th e m ost serio u s so rt. J he
s trik e of 1
b ro u g h t New ZeaLamL
a - well as A u s tra lia w ith in a d ay s
jo u rn e y of a n a rc h y .
This was fol­
lowed by a p p re h e n sio n s of a big
ra ilro a d strik e . To save New Z ea­
la n d from being rav ag ed by these
in d u s tria l conflicts, m ore te rrib le
in th e ir su m -to ta l of losses th a n a
foreign w ar, th e th e n M in ister of
L ab o r, W illia m P em b er R eeves,
w ho la te ly cam e to A m e ric a as th e
official re p re se n ta tiv e of liis g o v e rn ­
ment a t th e C o m m ercial C ongress
in P h ila d e lp h ia , began to stu d y
w h a t had been acco m p lish ed by
o th e r n a tio n s in a rb itr a tio n , and
w as forced to the co n clu sio n th a t
“ v o lu n ta iy a r b itr a tio n is a s h a m .”
H e traced the d ev elo p m en t of a r b i­
tra tio n in all th e le ad in g c o u n trie s
u p to th e M a ssac h u setts B oard of
C o n ciliatio n an d A rb itra tio n . T h is
h e found th e best of all am i la c k ­
ing only one th in g to m ake it co m ­
p letely su c cessfu l— co m p u lsio n .
New Z ea lan d began w here M ass­
a c h u se tts left off, an d h as su cceed ­
ed w here M a ssa c h u se tts failed , Mr.
Reeves saw th a t to he effective, a r ­
b itra tio n , like ta x a tio n , m u st be
co m p u lso ry , not th a t th e m in o rity
m ig h t ru le th e m a jo rity , h u t th a t
it m ig h t not. T im e a n d tim e ag ain
in New Z ea lan d th e m a jo rity of
m a ste rs a n d m en in tra d e h ad
agreed to te rm s of s e ttle m e n t or
m eth o d s of a r b itr a tio n , som etim es
a fte r y e a rs of n e g o tia tio n , o n ly to
h a v e th e w hole s tr u c tu re of th e ir
civilized efforts o v erth ro w n by an
irre c o n c ila b le m in o rity of c o m m e r­
cial c u t-th r o a ts d e te rm in e d not to
a b a te one jo t or title of th e ir p riv i-
lege of m u rd e ro u s c o m p e titio n .
T h e th e o ry of th e c o m p u lso ry
a r b itr a tio n law is th a t th e m a jo rity
m u st ru le. T h ere are th re e p a rtie s
v ita lly in te re ste d in every in d u s tria l
d is p u te : la b o r, c a p ita l an d th e sta te .
W h ic h e v e r side th e s ta te finds rig h t
is th erefo re in a m a jo rity .
The New Zealanders are not at
all sensitive about the use of com ­
pulsion. They are the most demo­
cratic people in the world, and they
believe in whatever compulsion is
necessary to prevent the m inority
from ruling. They see that com­
pulsion is only an o th er name for
law.
The principal points of the law
are, first, procedure for v o lu n tary
arb itratio n , with no publicity and
no investigation if the parties can
th u s settle their difficulties am ong
them selves; but if they cannot, the
law shows its other face. If their
differences are irreconcilable by
themselves the parties m ust a rb i­
trate if either of them so elects;
fight they shall not, if either wants
arbitration. The com pulsion of the
law is threefold; com pulsory pub­
H ELL!
hope of th e people of th e w orld.
A nd th e C om p u lso ry A rbitration
A Visit to the Real Old Thing.
C ourt of New Z ealan d is a lig h t on
a hill to those who are seeking a
BY HARRIET L. HENDERSON.
m eans of e sta b lish in g i n t e r n a t i o n a l
a rb itra tio n . T he n a tio n s will get
Few of th e E u ro p e a n s — A nglo-
a rb itra tio n o n ly as th e people of
«•ompul-
C elts or R o m a n s— in the
T h e em p lo y ers, m ost of th e m , Bke.~ N ew Z i i i a m l g o t it — by
p rese n t or in c e n tu rie s p ast, but
co m p u lso ry a r b itr a tio n . It e n a b le s s io n . W hen th e n a tio n s m ade tip
th n ir m in d s th a t the d u t y of arl.i- *>»ve h a d th e ir so u ls d w arfed and
them to m ake th e ir b u sin e ss a r ­
trail« !, s h a ll be m a te d w ith th e sm o th ered , th e ir m in d s p e rv e rte d
ra n g e m e n ts for m o n th s or y e a rs
an d clouded, and th e ir lives d a r k ­
a h e a d w ith c e rta in ty , a n d w ith o u t right of a rb itr a tio n , am i th a t as no
ened and m ade m ise ra b le ,b y th e in ­
the necessity of p u ttin g “ strik e n atio n o u g h t to fight, no n a tio n
sane and c rim in a lly ig n o ra n t pul-
c la u se s” in th e ir c o n tra c ts. It re ­ shall fight, a n d th a t as every na
tlo.1 ought to arb itrate, all nations 1 P'> teaching about a flam ing sea of
lieves b u sin ess of one of its m ost
b rim sto n e , religiously an d re v e re n t­
h a ra s sin g a n n o y a n c e s— th e p e rp e t­ -h all have th e rig h t to d e m a n d ar
ly called H ell. T h ere all w ho were
u al frictio n w ith labor.
A little b itra tio n , a n d when th ey , as the
not san ctified , like th e good and
easy inanceu v ering w ith th e m en people of New Z ealan d d id , crea te a
holy p asto r, w ould su re ly spend
b rin g s c u t- th r o a t com petito rs be­ trib u n a l w ith th e pow er to e n ­
th e ir e te rn a l d a y s in in d e sc rib a b le
fore th e c o u rt a n d pots them u n d e r force th ese rig h ts anti d u tie s a n d to
to rm e n t an d suffering. C h a rm in g
th e co m p u lsio n of law to pay th e p u n ish an y people th a t v io late the
new I n te rn a tio n a l law , th e n , am i Ideal— a n d how v iv id ly am i lu rh lly
sam e wages an d give th e sam e
not till th e n , sh a ll we h av e the " aa
p ic tu re d by se lf-in d u lg e n t
tre a tm e n t to th e ir m en as decent
How th e y Iro-
po sslbility of International a r b tlr a - ¡«Id b a r b a r ia n s ?
em p lo y e rs do.
L aw an d o rd er m u st have m ensely en jo y ed th e c h a in s th a t
T h e w o rking m en like co m p u lso ry tino.
Its policem en b slw een n a tio n s as bound th e ir flo n rish in g flock. How
a r b itr a tio n . It en su res them at all
th e y loved and fostered th e ir ig-
tim e s an d u n d e r all c irc u m sta n c e s well as w ith in the n atio n s.
Thv o n ly c o u n try Io the w,,r ld ! norance and superstiti«»,, and we-k-
a full an d fair h e a rin g for th e ir d e ­
ly, m o n th ly an d y e a rly reap ed from
m a n d s. W h en th ey are resistin g a w here th ere have been no strik e s or
th e ir te rro r so m uch a head. G ra v -
red u ctio n or d e m a n d in g an in crease lock-outs for five y e a rs is th e o nly
h aire d , to o th less old m en a n d those
of wages it e n a b les them to learn c o u n try in th e w orld th a t has a
b etter-lo o k in g sh o u te d “ A m en!”
th e facts of th e s itu a tio n an d all of co m p u lso ry a r b itr a tio n law. 'That
F ra il little c h ild re n were terrified
th e m . It fixes th e p ro d u c t of th e ir c o u n try is New Z e a la n d , an d New
at the a w fu ln w s of the spectacle
lab o r not by a false “ law of th e Z a la n d is to d ay not only m ore
prosperous th a n it ev er h a s been w h '<!h h a u n te d th e ir th o u g h ts by
m a r k e t” as in te rp re te d by th e greed
before, b u t, so far as m y o b s e rv a - ! d a y a n d th e ir d re a m s by n ig h t.
or th e w hip h a n d of a m a ste r, hut
N or were w an tin g w eak, e m o tio n a l
by th e tru e “ law of th e m a rk e t” tion goes, is th e m ost prosperous
w om en— the h y p o c ritic a l an d selfish
n ever before a sc e rta in a b le .
F or co u n try in th e w orld. N ot even a
New Z ea lan d a d v o c a te o f co m p iti- devotees of fa sh io n ’s foibles, whose
th e first tim e in c iv iliz a tio n th e o r ­
sory a r b itr a tio n w ould claim th a t le a rs over
,,w n d a n g e r were
g a n iz a tio n of lab o r is n o t m erely
soothed by tho'se of se lf-g ra tific a tio n ,
to le ra te d , hut given a p rem iu m . The its p ro sp e rity was due to com pu 1-
sory a rb itra tio n , hut th e p ro sp e rity to kuow ‘ h a ‘ a11
n eig h b o rs
law fixes a liv in g w age or a m in i­
an d a c q u a in ta n c e s w ould su rely he
m um wage, an d yet allow s the s u ­ c e rta in ly h as falsified all the p re ­
c a u g h t in th a t fiery fu rn a ce of blue
p erio r m an all th e a d v a n ta g e his d ic tio n s th a t d isa ste r w ould follow.
flam e an d sm o th e rin g gases. T hen
stre n g th a n d sk ill deserve. A gain
th e y w ould be flu tte rin g a ro u n d
Is,’’ o r “ Are ?”
for th e first tim e in h isto ry th e
th e th ro n e of grace an d b ask in g in
to ile r has found a p lace w here he
F or many years there has been a con- th e sm iles of an all-w ise a n d all-
m eets his e m p lo y er on eq u al term s,
troversy over the question w hether a a p p ro v in g God. S u ch was a n d is
w ith no te m p ta tio n to crin g e or to
plural or a singular verb should be j^ e H ell of religious o rth o d o x y ,
b u lly .
Phis law p u ts in the h a n d s used with the term , the Unite«! States. ri)nk en(> b
sen(, a Bnl(jU ()f
of th e w o rk m an an irre sistib le This dispute has m a m easure been of-
.
Heially settled by the House eom mitee 1 p h u ro u s incense to the farth est
m e an s of s ta m p in g out the m o m en t
ou revision of the laws, which after deep p o rta ls of space.
It h a s alm o st
it a p p e a rs in a n v in d u s tria l cen tre
e x p l o r a t i o n a n d p r o lo n g e d considera- b re a th e d its la st fum es— th ro ttle d
th e first te n d e n c y to sw eat the w o rk ­ tio n have d ecid ed in fav o r of th e s in ­
by its own cru e l, c rim in a l h o rro r.
ing people.
g u la r form of th e verb, lu th e e a rlie r
O nly here an d th e re we can yet
An em p lo y er in a n y p a rt of th e p erio d of o u r N a tio n a l e x iste n c e th e
.
ro le was th e o th e r way. T he p lu ra l faintly hear its d eath -rattle amongst
c o u n try d etected in an a tte m p t to
form is used in th e C o n s titu tio n itself, th e more degraded of the gospel
cu t wages or w orsen co n d itio n s can
and was employed until a com para­ faithful.
be ca lle d before th e co u rt an d tively recent date by tho Suprem e
Its final demise is a certainty.
s tra ig h te n e d o u t, am i w hat m ight C ourt in its decisions, and is still used
.
h a v e d ev elo p ed in to a w idespread even by many members of Congress B ut th a t leaves hts .la je s t y t i c
sp o lia tio n , r u n n in g from one c o m ­ a n d other officials. But the singular Devil w ith o u t a hom e! H ow long
p e tito r to a n o th e r, ju stified by th is form of th e v erb has been grow ing in will a hom eless Devil su rv iv e? T he
favor, an d it was d iscovered was used
m e rc h a n t because it had been a d o p t­ by m an y e m in e n t m en of fo rm e r p e ri­ H ell a n d Devil gone, how long will
ed hv th a t c o m p e tito r, is arre ste d ods. T he c o m m ittee c o n su lte d a p a m ­ th e fu n ctio n of sa v in g sou ls la st?
An
a t th e very s ta r t. T h e sa tisfa c tio n p h let w ritte n by ex S e c re ta ry of S ta te W h a t will he its stim u lu s?
.John W . F o ste r, who tra c e d th e c o u rse o b lite r a te d f u n c tio n n e e d s n o organ
of th e w o rk in g m en is u n iv e rsa l.
lic ity , co m p u lso ry referen ce to a d is ­
in te re ste d p a rty , an d co m p u lso ry
obedience to th e la w ’s a w a rd s. T h e
sta te has no pow ers to in te rv e n e in
a n y d isp u te , even for in q u iry , of its
own m o tio n . T hose co n cern ed sue
an d are sued as in o th e r courts.
The
C o m p u lso ry
A rb itra tio n
C o u rt of New Z ea lan d has an asp ect
of even g re a te r im p o rta n c e th a n th e
in d u s tria l peace w hich is a ssu re d ly
a very g re a t aspect. In th is a r b i­
tr a tio n co u rt New Z ealan d has
achieved w h at the people of the
w orld h av e been sig h in g for for
c e n tu rie s — c h e a p , unifo rm an d
sp eed y ju stice. It p o in ts th e way
to th e re a liz a tio n of th e d ream s of
q u ick an d tru e ju stice for all, w hich
is th e g re a te st need an d the dearest
of th e c h an g e, a n d q u o te d from H am il-
to n , J e ffe rso n , W ebster. B enton. M arcy,
M otley, C. F. A dam s, S ew ard, E v a rts,
F ish, B laine, F re liu g h u y se u , B ayard.
F re sh a m a n d O lney all of whom u sed
th e s in g u la r S erb . The e a rlie r Presi-
d e n ts , ex cep t Ja c k so n , used th e p lu ra l,
b u t L in c o ln , C ra u t, I lev elan d , H arri-
sou a n d M ckiuley all used th e sin g u la r
of o p e r a tio n . T h e n , fa re w e ll Priest
a n d P astor,—except as frauds?
TT
_
. « » .
• ,
Here I am in Palestine, with the
o r i g i n a i H e ll
b e fo re m e.
L et
us
e n te r .
As w e s t a n d u p o n t h e Hill
o f 2ion, looking w est and south, we
’
c h a ra c te r of our N atio n . It is n o Ion- r iv in g its n a m e fro m a le g e n d of
g e r reg a rd ed as a fe d e ratio n of sta te s,
p
b u t as a N atio n , w ith a big X. H ence th e 1 4 th c e n t u r y , to th e effect t h a t
th e U n ited S ta te s , sp o k en of as a Ns- ..C i h „ po, 8Psaed a country
tio n . is,” n o t “are. — P o rtlan d Tele-
’
’
.
graui.
house here, w here he c o n su lte d w ith