The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-09-01
LABOR'S PLATFORM.
Report of the Committee on Res.
olutions at St. Louis.
COURTS AREROUNDLY DENOUNCED.


clusion Reached by the Committee Help
Miners In Eastern Ohio : Women March
In Pennsylvania.
ST. Louis, Sept. 1.-The delegates to
the convention of labor leaders were
slow In assembling Tuesday morning.
1t was 10 o'clock when the committee
on resolutions filed into the hall and
the delegates were called to order to
hear its report.
Mr.. Berger in presenting the resolu-
tions, spoke Of the great task the COM
mittee had before it, He said the re-
port about to be submitted was the best
the committee could do under the cir
oumstances. Whether 1t would suit the
question remains to be seen. The plat
form as presented reads:
THE fear of the more watchful faith
ers Of the republic has been justified.
The judiciary has become supreme. We
witness political phenomenon abso-
lutely new in the history of the world .
republic prostrate at the feet Of
judges appointed to administer its laws
They acknowledge no superior on earth.
and their despotic deeds recall Millions
warning to his countrymen: Who bids
man rule over his above law, may bid
as well savage beast
Power OF Legislation.
Under the cunning form Of injunc-
ton, courts have assumed to enact
criminal laws. and after thus drawing
to themselves the power of legislation.
have repealed the bill Of rights and for
violation of these court-made laws,
have denied the accused the right Of
trial by jury. The exercise Of the cCm-
monest rights Of freeinen--thc right Of
assembly, the right Of free speech. the
right Of travelling the public highways.
have by legislation, uuder the fCrIa Of
injunctions, been made q crime and
armed forces discerse as mcbs people
daring in company. to exercise t1ess
rights At it's last term, the supreme
court OF the United States decided thas
the thirteenth amendmeht, forbiddinS
involuntary servituGe, Is not y. lated
by arresting q seaman, imprisoni2g him
until his vessel is ready to leave port
and then forcibly putting him on board
to serve out the term Of his contract;
a decision under which the old fu gitive
slave laws may yet be revived, and
striking laborers be seized and returnsd
to the service of their masters.
Subjugation of Sovereign states.
Having drawn to themselves all the
powers Of the federal government un-
til congress and presidents may act only
by judicial permission, the federal
judges have begun the subjugation Of
sovereign states, so that. unless a check
is put upon the grogress Of usurpatior.
in a short time no government but the
absolute despotsm Of federal judges will
exist anywhere over any portion of
American soil. The pending strike of
coal miners, starved to feebleness by
theif scant wages by arduous and dan
gerous toll, the pending strike for the
right to be fed enough to make labor
possible, has been prolific of judicial
usurpation. showing the willingness of
judicial despots to resort to the most
shameless defiance of decency, as well
as Of law and humanity, in order to en-
able heartless avarice TO drive its hun
cry serfs back TO the mines to faint and
die at their drudgery, and there remains
today not one guaranteed right of
American citizens. the exercise of which
an injunction has not somewhere made
a crime started by these subversions Of
constitutional liberty.
Conclusions Reached.
I'VE have met to counsel together and
have come to the following conclusions
that,
Whereas. The present strike of coal
miners has again demonstrated the fact
that our so-called libcrty is not freedom
but is a stupeudous sham, under which
millions are degenerating. while hun
dreds Of thousands of men. women and
children are starving in novels ard on
the public highways;
"Whereas, This condition has become
permanent for a large and ever-increas-
ing number of our population as long as
we permit a comparatively small class
OF legaized exploiters to monopolize the
means of production and distribution for
their private benefit--a fact again obvi-
Gus in the case of the miners;
Whereas, Appeals to congress and to
the courts for relief are fruitless, since
the legislative. as well as the executives
judicial power are under the control Of
the capitalistic class. so that II has come
to pass in this free country that. while
cattle and swine have a right to the
public highway Americans. so-called
freemen, have not:
Capitalistic Glass Armed.
whereas, Our capitalistic class, as Is
again shown in the present strike. is
armed, and has not only policemen, mar
shals, sheriffs and deputies but also a
regular army and militia. in order TO en-
force government by injunction. sup
pressing lawful assemblage, free speech.
and the right to the public highway.
while on the other hand. the laboring
men Of the country are unarmed and
defenseless, contrary TO the words and
spirit of the constitution of the United
States Therefore. be it
."Resplved, That we hereby set apart
Friday, the third day of September, 1897,
as Good Friday for the cause OF
suffering labor in America and contri-
butte the earnings Of that day to the
support Of our struggling brothers. the
miners. and appeal to every union man
and every friend Of labor throughout
the country to do likewise.
Resolved. If the strike Of the miners
is not settled by the 20th day Of Septem-
ber. 1897 and announcement made to
that effect by the president Of the Unit