The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-09-25
Government by Injunction
rrom the Annapolls Republiean.


The Chicago platform declared against
government by injunction and for this declar-
alton the Democracy was roundly denounced.
The platform was declared to favor anarchy
and its supporters were styled anarchists.
The recent tradgedy at Lattimer, Pa, seems
to have made anarchists of some of those who
were loudest in their denunciat;on of this
plank of the Chicago platform, as witness the
following extracts from the leading editorial
of the Baltimore SIN of Monday last. The
italics are ours.
without undertaking to determine the
abstract questions of law involved in such Il
case as that at Lattimer, where Sheriff
Martins deputies shot down unarmed miners
upon the public highway, it must be clear to
all unpreiudiced and thoughtful men that
courts Of justice an such conflicts may cun-
niRgly be made the agents Of injustice and that
the strong judicidl arm may be erteRded IN
such a 1cay as to c,ntud legitimate popular
rights in facOr Of strong combinations Of cup
it'll
Did the Chicago platform or its supporters
90 any further than this? A few months ago
The SIN itself would have called such language
an outrageous attack upon our courts and
would have called upon all law abiding citi-
zens and all lovers of law and order to come
10 llG UtitllSG u lilG tOuLlo NllCll NtIC bGlHS
attacked by demagogues and anarchists.
Again.
1--WE have heard much in the last few years OF
government by Injunction, and while the phllippics
delivered by demagogueS on this text have been
exaggerated and sensational, there can pc no question
that popular discomfort has been seriously and not IL
together uRraTdntbty ercited by the systematic Qt
me courts for the sHDDycssi0a Of strikes While no
legal principle may be violated by this practice the
practical effect has been to create the impression of
judicial tarOrttism and to place strikers at disad-
vantage-to put them in the attitude of law-break-
ers when doing things ordinarily innocent in
themselves, and to furnish excuse for the arrogant
and irritating ercrciSe Of dQuoJW authority Hidei the
forms Of lar The courts have the right doubtless.
to eniOin strikers from interfering with the business
operations of their employers and to prohibit de-
monstrutions near their property which may be
calculated to interfere with such operations bHi
irhe Judges caleb ~ sag hidt strikers shall nat
march an the peoples hiqtlrdHs ELm one print 10
another they approach principles Wnich go dorm 10 the
rcry foundations nj FREE government, and which de-
mand the utmost care and deliberatiOn III their
consideration and decision. Certainly if the result
of such decisions is to make il legally iustable to
shoot down people ON public roads and thorough
fares because they marching i'll the direction of
s9DelDfY fnnncioR-D rOecteff Dropctt-the popular
feeling this subject will grow more intense and
widespread until it may produce bitter and disas-
trous consequences
''Tbc shooting Of the miners at LGt,imcr simply
murder under the forms Of Ldlc. Government by IN
junction IN this case has borne bloody fruit"
The Sun then proposes as a remedy Tor such law
lessness, for murder under the forms of law and
for government by injunction, which is sowing
the seeds Of class hatred and possibly of revolution
in the future" arbitration which will compel the
submission of the differences between capital and
labor to impartial tribunal. For once the sur is
right. These conflicts between capital and labor
are threatening the very foundations of all law and
order indeed, the very life of society. While
technically Il man may have the right to employ
whom he pleases and to pay what he will, or II
man to work for whom ne pleaseS and at whatever
pay he sees fit to accept there IS higher right in
hereut in society, to protect itself from scenes OF
lawleSsncss and violence which have been of such
frequent occurrence of late years in these labor
troubles and which have more than once termn-
ated as they did at Lattimer last week in murder
under the forms of law The great Democratic
party, ever the guardian and protector of popular
rights and of the plain people from the encroach-
ments and expressions of the favored few saw that
Il new and dangerous foe an inSidiOus enemy to
popular rights, had arisen and straightway sounded
the note Of warning. Free government and gov
ernmeut by injunction cannot exist together. If
government by injunction is to be permitted and is
to become fixed principle then are the founda-
lions of free institutions sapped; for to enforce
such government armies of sherifs, deputies and
marshals will have to be maintained whose bullets
and bullets alone, can enforce injunctOns. We
viii then have repeated exhibitions like that at
I.attimer and free government will be farce; and
government by injunction which will have super
seeded it will last only so long as the rifles of the
sheriiis and deputies can uphold it. The matter is
a grave one and demands the best thought and
serious consideration of the best citizenship of the
country for we know not when we may awake to
find ourselves in the midst of revolution.