The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-05

certain demands al thsau were complied with,
they sought to prevent. and did prevent, every
body from moving the commerce OF the city. 1t
was the successful effort of the combination OF
the defendants TO intimidate and overawe others
who we're at work in conducting or carrying on
the commerce Of tho couatry In which the court
6ads their error aud their violation OF the
statute.
1t is clear from the language OF the de-
cision Of Judge Billings and Of Judges
Taft and Kicks that they will hold that
whenever labor organizations seek TO pre-
vent and do prevent by general strike or
combination the carrying of commerce.
they are guilty of . violation Of the inter-
state commerce act just as much ~ . rail.
road corporation or any other commercial
corporation would DO that INSTRUCTED the
commerce of the country by refusing to do
business until the discomfort produced BY
their refusal had bulidozed . suffering
public into complying with their de-
mands. The Law "a laid down in
all these cases means that inter-
state commerce cannot be lawfully OBJ
structed by . combination Of employers
or q combination of employees. The rail-
buildoss the public. neither can labor
combine % ~ to compel the railways to
stop running.
Under the rulings of the Federal judges.
If sustained by the United States supreme
court, ali officers and members of any
organization which conspires to arrest the
business of . city or country becomes
liable to penalties under the Federal inter-
state commerce Law. 1t logically follows
that neither employers or employees have
. right by combination to stop the wheels
of commerce and make society suffer
in order to accomplish their ends. Be-
cause employers and employees do not
agree in some single line of labor the
whole general public should not DO
permitted to go without protection.
A combination for the purpose Of arrest
ing the business Of . city or of the
country is held to be an illegal conspiracy
whether it be attempted BY . combination
ployes. In other words. these three
Federal judges agree in holding the boy.
colt as illegal as an attempt to deprive
socie,y of its rights. Sympathetic strikes
that is, strikes ordered for the purpose
of making public discomfort so general a.
to compel employers to yield-are covered
by this decision.
The truth is that the boycott is practi-
cally An attempt of single labor organiza-
ton to levy on all other labor forced tax.
no matter whether the departments Of
labor secure corresponding advantages or
not. A boycott by labor organization Of
the commerce of the community compels
labor that has no interest in it, quarrel to
share its losses and sufferings. This 10 the
point that the New York Tribune forcibly
presents when 1t says:
The true question underlying the Ann Arbor
case il therefore, this: Whether the public has
any right to protection In the courts against the
orders of a labor organization. where those or.
ders are calculated to impose additional bur.
dens upon ali other laborsrs and all other cisi.
Gems.
If it be said that this law kills the strike
and the boycott when they are undertaken
for the express purpose of paralyzing inter-
state commerce % that it cannot execute
its legal obligations under the interstate
commerce act, it is also true that under
the ultimate logic Of these decisions EN-.
ployers cannot be permitted to interfere
with commerce or punish society BY
combining for the precipitation Of . sud.
den lockout.