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wronged now that their time to suffer the same fate would soon follow. Not merely sentiment, love of just ire and humanity prompt them to sue-eor their fellows, hut enlightened selfishness and self-preservation demand it. _FOR MEN OF WARM HEARTS AND LEVEL HEADS.Mlt;irru: Mi. Inwt »no tie vlWlam.I. The assumption of the risk of employment L illustrated hy a derision of the Supreme ('unit of |nwa. wliieli lays down the following rule:’•Where a servant knows, or liy ordinary diligence should have know n, of the peeuliar dangers of his employment, resulting from the negligence of his master, he waives his right to recover fur injuries resulting front stteh negligence by re-maiuing in his master's employment without olijoetioii.’’Well, j| a workingman, as an individual. objects, he is discharged: and if an organization is doing it. law and order is being culled upon to suppress the rioters - wherefore this rule should tie abolished by legislative net ion.•.*. In regard to the negligence of a fellow-servant the Supreme I'ourt of Minnesota has rendered the followingnotable decision:■■ \ master is not liable t one servant for injuries caused by the negligence of a co-servant in the same common employment. That the negligent servant is superior in authority or an overseer ol the one in jured iloes Hot lllkl* the Cllse out of this rule.'To vvlial ridiculous extent lid fellow ship is held to existmight he illustrated hy numerous iiistanci s. ,,n,- uf win, h. a decision of the Supreme t ourl of Michigan, for the sukeof Iictler understanding.I quote:•Wherean employer furnishes suitable ri materials, and employs enm|K*tent ri carpenters, to eonstruet uffulditig to In- used hy tliem in putting the cornice upon a building, and the same seall'olding is sulise|iienlly used by painters hired to paint the cornice, held that the carpi-n ter.s wlm constructed the scaffolding awl the painters are fellow -servants, and that the employer is not liable for injuries caused to one of the painters liy the breaking of tlu* seatfoldmg.Hinee the workmen have no voice in what persons shall lie employed to lie-come their fellow-••servants. and their attempts to that effect are lining met as in ease 1. this rule, as the former, should lie abolished, and employers made liable for the acts of one employe to another, the same as a railroad company is liable lor the injuries a passenger receives through tin* negligence of it* employes.:i. i ‘ontrihutory negligence as n means to defeat recovery of damages should so Ik- muddied os to constitute no absolute bar, which it should |„- in cases of gross misconduct only, making the rule similar to that in admiralty.I. The most pernicious attempt lo override what liitle protection the law affords is practiced in making wageworkers sign agreements discharging employers from liability for injuries arising from whatever i-ames. The methods employed are either direct, with no phrase attached to cover the intent, or under the guise of generosity and liencv-olencr. While the former way of throwing off natural responsibiUtjesineetsvviih no adverse criticism on the part- of the press- except t he few straight workmen’s papers-the latter mode makes it possible for tlie minions of monopoly to liml much to applaud, as illustrating the harmony between capital and labor. This harmony, which Laurence (imnlimd. in his t ‘o operative 1'omniomvenlth, calls that of roast In-ef and a hungry stomach, workmen should try to protect themselves against.The Supreme •'ourl of Michigan has laid siu'h •‘iM'iievolencc under consideration in the case of • I.Neill rnxiiH Lake Superior Iron Company, decided November 17th, last year. This case being in point in every particular. I give its substance:That company, being anxious to relieve itself from liability—which, translated into the sweet language labor fleecers employ to deceive their “hands, reads, having the well-being of our employes at heart —provided a benefit fund into which each workman laid to pay thirty cents a month, and the company contributing an amount eipial to the aggregate. The company intrusted itself with the management of that fund, and bad special receipts prepared for the acknowledgment of sums received by dependents, relative of injured workmen in r.ise of injuries reuniting in death of the injured; and receipts acknowledging pay mi nt of money from this fund to men merely prevented to work.—in each case containing a clause like this I do hereby release said Luke SiijM-rior lion Company front all claims for such damages, no matter front vvlial cause • * - -accident occurred, whether claimed lo lie from the negligence ,,f the Lake 8iq*erior Iron Company, Its officers, servants, or I agents, or otherw ise.| lnlhiitcn.se the recipient could not read, and not knowing the effect of the I receipt he signed, it was no liar to his re-I covery for damage sustained in the eni ploy and through the negligence of that | company. The Supreme Court, however, held that such receipt would be a liar to au action when know ingly and understanding!}' signed.That it is against public policy toendow (persons with rights and charge then) with duties, and then to privilege them to make agreements to suit themselves,I hope that L not necessary to dwell on. Tliis practice is upon the exjiense of the I maroes, and unjust in no small degree.The remedy, a* ill the other cases, is in j legal enactments. It should be provided |that no court of justice or other tribunal shall recognize evidence of agreements discharging employers from liability for injuries received by workmen in their | employ, except where employers have | met their obligations in full by indemnify iug their employes fur losses sustained.J lu closing this discussion, I cannot but I •ay that hard words would be justifiable against those who purport to act for the Item-lit of the toilers-l«y denouncing men as too radical who go to the root of evils. These friends despair when mde|ieudent politics an* spoken of, without showing on their part that they per-ceive any other practical vvuy of doing justice, or exhibiting diligence to delect wrongs which, as tin* subject of this discussion, can tie remedied under present conditions. OTTG IIaksk.RATS !We notice in many instances, tlint men who take the place of strikers an' willed rats by our labor papers. Now we wish tu ak. why it is that this frisk) , .....1 Matured little animal is insulted inthis manner. Wo always bad more respect than tliis for the rat. iM-cause its a rule lie makes iilt; distinction between rich and poor, lie in just as willing to eat from the table of a poor man. as from that of a king, and is as sociable to one as to the other. 1 le makes no distinction lietwcun ritce and creed, and knows no politics, in fact he is independent, lie cannot Is* beguiled hy the politician, and always costs party aside, and studies his own interests. Therefore we are grieved that he should he compared with the creature who takes tin* place of a mun who battles for Ids wages. We hope the rat w ill insist t lint the term lie changed: vvc sympathize with him, for a man who will lake the place of a man on strike, never had t In- heart of u rat. //cm///(//it.COMMUNICATIONS.\..Tit»: mi roitui:sriMifcvr Write lilalii ‘’1pi.I1 down your letters: make them short.\\ rile only lt;tit one slillt;- «t the tiuncr. ltlt;- as good tmtiilvd ;is y,ii euii underllie •'Ireiimsluiices..Mis\t:»ro|,is. Minn., Feb. I. inn?.'I’o Ihi' W'oi 1,'iiii‘h'k AiIi'ih'iiIiSocialism in Minnesota found hut few adherents until recently. For a fact, very few people understood Socialism. They, like others, hail read in the capitalistic papers about these liry agitators, these cut-throats of society, the despoil lt;rs of communities and destroyers of civilization, so that here, like elsewhere, a misconception went out amongst the I people as to what Kipoiulinm was ami wlm Socialists were. It was not until the great explosion in l hicugo on the 4th of May, INNil, that shook the very ramparts of our present society and set a nation of fools to thinking that u sort of revival among the masses took place, and the stern issue, Socialism, elbowed its way through the w liirlwiud of excitement and calmly came Indore the minds of a maddened aud terrified people. It made its way even to the much boustod. of prosier ing Minnesota. How inquisitive every-Kidy suddenly Irecanu*. .Socialism at last was heard, and those who hud never given the subject a thought now began to consider iI seriously. Tliey began to investigate the subject, and as a result id this investigation came to tiie conclusion that corruption hud blocked the highway of human progress somewhere, and resolved to find out the true cause. The Hermans were already organized,uml hud been for several years. They hud formed themselves tutu u section for tlu* purpose of educating themselves up to the doctrine of .Socialism rather than making it an object to increase in membership and numbers. It was, however, not until July ItsStt that the good I'liilistinesof Minneapolis were horrilied to learn Iluit real liv e .Socialists were amongst them to abuse their good, charitable, prospering institutions. Soon after a Scandinavian section was organized, and then followed the format ion of a central committee. .Socialism liegan to boom, and rigid lively too. Large meetings were In-Id every other Sunyay in prominent balls. The capitalistic press, it is needless to say. gave us plenty of free advertising, w hich only assisted us in increasing our numbers. So fast did the seeds of .Socialism grow and spread, that it was thought i-est to organize an \meriean section, which was forthwith carried out, hiipI *in the ‘JMth day of Novemlter. four months later, we had a fieri nan,Sp .iiiditiHvian ami American section of the Socialistic Laltor party. The lying capitalistic papers came out with more free advertising for our cuius, which accordingly swelled our numliets, so much so that on January iss”, ,t was found I pest to reorganize the vvhoit-body so as to bring all the different sw -tioii into one body and bold section meetings collectively, i. c. the Germans, Scandinavians and Americans all to get her in one Itody, lt;Hir meetings *m Sunday afternoons have been well at tended and much interest by those pres ent shown. our I'liristmas festival, laid in Martin's hall, was largely nt tended and proved a great success, both linaiicially and otherwise. The Bohemians and Scaudinuviatis, especially the Banes, and a large portion of Hermans in this city are fast becoming Socialistic m sentiment. There are ulso quite a niim-Ut of American. Irish and French S.. | i iulists in this city, hut they .lo not is-long to our organization for fear of Ins- ( ing their situations. Among the best | known of our Socialistic agitators in this j Slate may Is* named lt;*tt« Ihiese, Frit/ ib-llerup. Blumendierg utio II. I'ucl^ These people, as a leading pajier of tins city some time ago said, may Is- but few. but they carry on with vigor and energy the work lt;.f spreading dissatisfaction . among the lalsirmg clauses. True, and that is just what we pro|tose to do until the laboring lt;lasses won’t have any more plissatisfactiun to complain of. We mean business and propose to stick to our bust- j ness so long as we are aide.Seckbtarv Minneapolis SECTION. I
Newspaper Details
New Haven Workmens Advocate
New Haven, Connecticut, US
Sat, Mar 12, 1887
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Kelvan I.
CA 18 Mar 2025
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