Speech 38  
THE PRESERVATION OF ORDER IN LABOR TROUBLES

FROM THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE AT THE OPENING   OF   THE   THIRD   SESSION   OF   THE   FIFTY EIGHTH CONGRESS, DECEMBER 6, 1904

IN the vast and complicated mechanism of our model n civilized life the dominant note is the note of industrialism; and the relations of capital and labor, and especially of organized capital and organized labor, to each other and to the public at large come second in importance only to the intimate questions of family life.  Our peculiar form of government, with its sharp division of authority between the Nation and the several States, has been on the whole far more advantageous to our development than a more strongly centralized government.  But it is undoubtedly responsible for much of the difficulty of meeting with adequate legislation the new problems presented by the total change in industrial conditions on this continent during the last half century.  In actual practice it has proved exceedingly difficult, and in many cases impossible, to get unanimity of wise action among the various States on these subjects.  From the very nature of the case this is especially true of the laws affecting the employment of capital in huge masses.

With regard to labor the problem is no less important, but it is simpler.  As long as the States retain the primary control of the police power the circumstances must be altogether extreme which require interference by the Federal authorities, whether in the way of safeguarding the rights of labor or in the way of seeing that wrong is not done by unruly persons who shield themselves behind the name of labor.  If there is resistance to the Federal courts, interference with the mails or interstate commerce, or molestation of Federal property, or if the State authorities in some crisis which they are unable to face call for help, then the Federal Government may interfere; but though such interference may be caused by a condition of things arising out of trouble connected with some question of labor, the interference itself simply takes the form of restoring order without regard to the questions which have caused the breach of order — for to keep order is a primary duty and in a time of disorder and violence all other questions sink into abeyance until order has been restored.  In the District of Columbia and in the Territories the Federal law covers the entire field of government; but the labor question is only acute in populous centres of commerce, manufactures, or mining.  Nevertheless, both in the enactment and in the enforcement of law the Federal government within its restricted sphere should set an example to the State Governments, especially in a matter so vital as this affecting labor.  I believe that under modern industrial conditions it is often necessary, and even where not necessary it is yet often wise, that there should be organization of labor in order better to secure the rights of the individual wage worker.  All encouragement should be given to any such organization, so long as it is conducted with a due and decent regard for the rights of others.  There are in this country some labor unions which have habitually, and other labor unions which have often, been among the most effective agents in working for good citizenship and for uplifting the condition of those whose welfare should be closest to our hearts.  But when any labor union seeks improper ends, or seeks to achieve proper ends by improper means, all good citizens and more especially all honorable public servants must oppose the wrongdoing as resolutely as they would oppose the wrongdoing of any great corporation.  Of course any violence, brutality, or corruption should not for one moment be tolerated.  Wage workers have an entire right to organize and by all peaceful and honorable means to endeavor to persuade their fellows to join with them in organizations.  They have a legal right, which, according to circumstances, may or may not be a moral right, to refuse to work in company with men who decline to join their organizations.  They have under no circumstances the right to commit violence upon those, whether capitalists or wage workers, who refuse to support their organizations, or who side with those with whom they are at odds; for mob rule is intolerable in any form.