The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-09-03
THE JUDICIARY
Denounced at the St. Louis Labor
Leaders Convention.
epeclaI Miners Day to Be Set Apart Shortly
After Labor Day-Workingmen Asked
TO Contribute the Earnings of That
Day in Support of Strikers.

ST, LOUIS, Sept. LIT was 10 o'clock
Tuesday when the committee on reso-
lutlons of the labor leaders conference
filed into the hall and the delegates
were called to order to hear it's report.
The platform as presented reads as fol.
lows:
The fear of the watchful fathers of the repub-
lie has been justified. The judiciary has be-
come supreme. We witness political phe-
nomlnon absolutely new in the history of the
"orlo; republic PROSTATE at the feet of judges
| appointed to administer its laws. They &C
| knowledge no superior on earth, and their des-
potlc deeds recall Millions warning to his
counCrynen; Who bids man rule over him
above law, may bid as well savage BEAST
Onoer the cunning form of injunctions
| courts nave assumed to enact criminal laws
and after thus drawing to themselves the DOW
er OF legislation have repealed the bill of rights
| and for violation of those court-made laws
nave denied the accused the right of trial by
| jury.
The exercise Of the commonest rights of free
men-the right of assembly the right of free
| speech, the right of travelling the public high
ways, have by legislation, under the form of
| 1nJunctlonS, been made crime and armed
| FORCES dlSperSe as mobS, people daring in COM
| pany, to exercise these rights. At it's last term
the supreme court of the United States decid-
| ed that the Thirteenth amendment forbid
| ding involuntary Servitude" is not violated by
arreStlng seaman, impriSoning him until his
vessel is ready to leave port, and then forcibly
| putting him on board to serve out the term of
his contract; decision under which the old
| fugitive slave laws may yet be revived and
| striking labOrerS be seized and returned to the
service of their masters.
| Having drawn to themselves all the powers
| or the federal government under congress and
the president may act only by judicial permits
sion, the federal judges have begun the subiu-
| cation of sovereign states so that, unless a
| check is soon put upon the progress of usurpa-
| ton, In short time no government but abso-
lutte deSpotlSm of federal judges will exist any
| where over any portion of the United States
| The pending strike of coal miners, starved to
| feebleneSS by their Scant wages, by arduous
| and dangerous toll, the pending strike for
| the right to be fed enough to make labor pos
| SloIe, has been prolific of judicial uSurpation
| showing the Willingness of judicial despots to
| resort to the most shameless defiance of de-
| cency, as well as OF law and humanity, in order
| to enable heartleSS avarice to drive its hungry
SerfS back to the mines to faint and die at their
1rudgery and there remains not one guaran-
| teed right Of American citizens, the exercise Of
| which an injunction has not somewhere made q
crime by these SubverSionS of constitutional
| liberty. We have met to counsel together and
have come to the following conclusions that:
| Whereas, the present strike of the coal min
| erS has again demonstrated the fact that our
| so-called liberty is not freedom, but is stu
| pendouS sham, under which millions are de-
generating, while hundreds of thousands-men,
| women and children-are starving in novels
| and on the public highways.
| Whereas. this condition has become perma-
nent for large and ever increasing number Of
our population, as long as we permit q COM
| paratively small class of legalized exploiters
to monopolize the means Of production and dis
| tribution for their private beneft-a fact OBJ
| vious in the case of miners.
| Whereas, Appeals to congress and to the
courts for relief are Ruthless since the legis-
| lative, as well as the executives judicial pow
ers are under the control of the capitalistic
class, so that it has come to pass in this free
country that while cattle and swine have a
right to the public highways, Americans, So
| called free men, have not;
Whereas Our capitaliStic class, as is again
shown in the present strike is armed. and has
| not only policemen, marShalS, SheriffS and dep
uties, but also regular army and militia in
| order to enforce government by injunction.
| suppressing lawful GsSemblage, free speech
and the right to the public highway while on
| the other hand, the labOring men of the coun-
| try are unarmed and defenseless, contrary to
the words and spirit of the constitution of the
| United States; therefore be it
| Resolved, No. THAT we hereby set apart
Friday. the Srd day of September, 1897, as a
| Good Friday for the cause of suffering labor
| in America and contribute 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, EFF the strike of the miners is not
settled by the Goth day of September, 1897, and
announcement made to that effect by the preSi-
| dent of the United mine workers, a general
convention be held at Chicago on Monday, Sep
TENDER 27 1897, by the representatives of all
unions, sections, branches, lodges and kindred
| organizations of laboring men and friends Of
| their cause, for the purpose Of considering fur
ther measures in the interests of the striking
miners and labor in general
| Resolved 3-That we consider the use of the
| ballot as the best and safest means for the
| amelioration of the hardships under which the
| laboring class suffers.
| Resolved THAT the public ownership of
railroads and telegraphS is one Of the most
necessary reforms for our body polite.
| Resolved 5-That we most emphatically pro-
test against government by injunction which
plays havoc with even such political liberty as
workingmen have saved from the steady en-
| crOachment of capitalism. and be it finally
| Resolved 6-That no nation in which the peo-
pie are totally disarmed can long remain free
nation, and therefore we urge upon all liberty
| loving citizens to remember and obey Article 2
of the constitution of the United States, which
reads as follow: The right of the people to bear
arms shall not be infringed.
| At the afternoon session several adj
dresses were made. Among other
things Mr.. Sovereign said: 1T is
| time to bring the miners and courts
| face to face in this matter and force an
issue. Fill up the Jail with violators
of injunctiOns and when the men who
| started this movement are incarcerated
thousands of others will be found to
take their places. Cheers. The Ia
boring people can vote for years, but
nothing can be accomplished. Let us
reorganize this government" shouted
Mr.. Sovereign. Let us stand up and
assert ourselves. Behind these injunc-
tons stand Calling guns and Winches-
tiers, but we fear them not. Let us
hold up the flag and tear down the
courts"
In his speech Mr.. Debs said: 1.-THE
people are ripe for change. All they
lack is direction and leadership. Let
this conference supply it. Let this