Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-06
The MATTER OF INJUNCTIONS.
They Create n Wrong Impression as to tho
Power of the Law.

Power of the Law.
The Judge also said: The receivers
were the first to break the contract be-
the converse had been the case the court
could not have directed or enjoined the
men TO continue in its service. Specific
performance of IA contract to render per-
sonal service cannot be enforced by injunc-
ton, by pains and penalties or by any
other means. The period of compulsory
personal service, save as II punishment
for crime. has passed in this country. \
system of rules and regulations by which
the company has been able to bring into
its service and retain for twenty-five years,
IN some instances, the class Of men who
have appeared before the court ut this
hearing IS certainly commendable and
meets the entire approval of this court
in the opinion Of the court the allow
ances made by the schedules now in force
are Just and equitable. The employees
under the present system share the bur-
dens OF diminished business. When prop
erty is III the hands of receivers the law
declares 1t to be n contempt of the court
appointing them for any person to inter
tere with the property or with the men in
their employ. No injunction order can
make such unlawful interference any
more of a contempt than the law makes it
without such order Such orders have an
injurious tendency because they tend To
create the impression among men that IT
Is not an oifense To interfere with property
in possession OF receivers or with the men
III their employ unless they have been es-
pecially enjoined from SO doing
This is a dangerous delusion. TO the
ext h..f
this class of eases the law itself imposes
an injunction. For this reason no injunc-
tional order wiz be entered in this case. "
In conclusion Judge Caldwell said. I'VE
may he INDUCED in given expression to the
hope that in future differences about
wages between courts and their employees
Mt least, and we would fain hope between
all employers and employees, resort may he
hau 10 reason and not 10 passion. to the
law and not to violence, to the courts and
not to a strike. It is a reproach to our civil
zatlon that such differences should result.
as they often have, in personal violence.
loss of life, destruction Of propcrfy. loss
of wages TO the men and loss of earnings
TO the employer, and when they occur on
great lines of railroad, great damage and
Inconvenience to the public
Among the formal orders made after
tie relullS OF the OPINION was one dcclar-
ing that grievance committees authorized
to represent the engineers shall have ac-
cess TO the officials for the consideration of
cases of violation of rules or regulations. "
preamble and resolutions were adopf-
ed by the engineers board of adjustment
which, after stating the case, declares that
the Judge opinion inaugurates a new era
and establishes a sovereign remedy for
the adjudication of labor tro1lhlns. ,-i,-,s
organized labor complete judicial recogni-
ton and pledges the engineers to induce
rs far rs they can all laboring men to Weld
a cheerful obedience To the order made and
perpetuate the principles established: also
that the resolutions be read once every
three months in every division of the or
dor