Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-12-17
CURRENT NOTES.

Last year when the tidal wave was
threatening to submerge the special
privileged people Dir. Eanna's SPELL
binders and literary fellows called upon
the voters to elect Mckinley that the
om.nous advance Of Socialism" might
lie stopped. No doubt the shrek OF
Socialism" had something to do with
the defeat Of Mr.. Bryan.
And now how are Hanna and Nc
Kinley succeeding in their work OF
graduating Socialism from politics?
In the recent elections the Repub-
leans scored general losses, while the
"Popocrats" made universal gains; but
what Is much more horrible, the red,
rabid, radical Socialist-Labor party,
which polled some votes in. 1896, made
startling gains in 1897. "'I'f'iltt
Stark County, Ohio, tho home Of
President Mckinley, last year gave a
small gold-standard majority and cast
NOlcS. ulo year
Stark County was carried by the free
silver men, and, besides, gave the So
cialist Labor state ticket sos votes.
There must be a screw loose with Nc
Kinley's prosperity when the Socialist
Labor party gains with such rapidity at
the expense OF the Republicans.
At large labor meeting held In
Hazleton, Pa, which was addressed by
President Gompers and Vice-President
Mcclure Of the American Federation
of Labor, resolution was adopted rec
ognizing in the death of Henry George
an irreparable loss. w. J. Bryan has
subscribed 800 to the Henry George
memorial fund.
The United States Court Of Appeals,
Judge Caldwell dissenting, has decid-
ed, in the case Of the Oxley Stave Co..
of Kansas City, that all boycotts by
labor unions are illegal Evidently
there is nothing left for workingmen
to do except to elect congressman and
presidents who will reorganize the fed
eral court system. They have already
had that opportunity, but failed to
take advantage Of it. Perhaps Judges
Sanborn and Thayer will prove to be
good educators. YHt4F.
The brave and able dissenting opin-
ion of Judge Henry c. Caldwell (po-
I'll oil h.
lican) deserves to be recorded. In re-
gard to the gigantic corporations that
demand and receive from. the courts
injunctions to protect them from
strikes and boycotts, Judge Caldwell
says: .. f..i. f.,.I.
"They defy all social restraints that
would have tendency to lessen their
dividends. What the stockholders
want is more dividends, and the best
manager is the man who will give
them the largest. The struggle Is con-
slant between the laborers, whose la
Dor produces the dividends, and those
who enjoy them. The manager is
tempted to reduce wages to increase
dividends, and the laborer resists the
reduction. and demands living wages.
Sometimes this trouble reaches the
point of open rupture. When it does.
the only weapon Of defense the laborer
can appeal to is the strike or the boy
colt or both. These weapons they
have an undoubted right to use so
long as they use them in peaceable
and orderly manner. This is the only
lawful limitation upon their use. That
limitation is fundamental, and must be
observed. 1t was observed in the case
at bar to its fullest extent. II these are
withheld from them, then, indeed, are
they left naked to their enemies"
This is good common sense and good
common law, neither of which stand
any chance in our federal courts as at
present constituted. The plutocratic
president, whoever he was, who orig
inally appointed Judge Caldwell to the
Court of Appeals evidently did not
know the man.
PERCY PEPOON.