The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-31
FREEDOM LOST.
Labor Leaders Talk of
the Laws Tyranny.
Republic Frustrated at the
Feet of Judges.
Exercise OF COmmOnest Rights of
the Freeman Forbidden.

ST. Louis Aug. 81. The delegates
10 the labor convention here were slow
in assembling this morning, and 1t was
nearly an hour after tho time set for the
meeting before the body was called TO
order.
lie was 10 o'clock when the committee
on resolutions entered the hall. MIR. Bcr-
ger, who presented the resolutions, spoke
of the great task the committee had be-
fore it, The platform as presented reads
as follows:
1.-THE fear of the more watchful fathers
of the republic has been justified Tho
judiciary has become supreme. We wit
ness a political phenomenon absolutely
new in the history Of the world, re.
public PROSTATE nj the feet CT the Judges
appointed to administer it's laws. They
acknowledge 10 superior OH earth aud
their dospotic deeds recall Millions wa1n-
ing TO his countrymen: Who bids a man
rule over him above law, may bid as
we'll savage beast.
''Unuer the cunning form of injunc-
tions. courts have assumed To enact crimi-
nal laws. and after thus drawing TO
themselves the power of legislation,
have repealed the bill! of rights ana for
violations OF those court made laws, have
denied tho accused the right of trial by
jury.
1.-The exercise of the oommonest rights
OF free men-the right of assembly. the
right OF free speech the right of travelling
the public highways, have by legislatloh,
under the form of injunction been made
a crime and armed forces disperse rs a
mob the people gathered in company 10
exercise these rights. At its last term
the Supreme CourB Of the United States
decided that the thirteenth Gmoudment.
forbidding involuntary servitude Is not
violated by arresting q seaman, imprisou-
ing him until mis- vessel is ready To lenve
port ana then furciby putting him on
board TO serve out the term OF his con-
tract a 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.
"Haying drawn 90 themselves all tho
powers OF the federal government until
Congress and presidents NAV net by
judicial permission, the federal judges
have begun the suhjugation OF sovereign
statcs, so that unless a check Is soon put
upon the progress of usurpation, in IA
short time no government but the ahso.
lutte despotism Of federal judges Will
exist anywhere over any portion of Ameri.
can soil The pending strike OF coal
miners. starved 60 faehlenoss by their
scapt wnRes and by arduous and danger
Gus toll. the pending strike for the right
to be feu enough to make labor pussinle,
has been prolific Of judicial usurpation,
showing the willingness of judicial des-
pots to resort To tho most shameless de-
fance of decency. ns we'll as Of law and
humanity. I'm order 60 enable heartless
avarice 20 drive its hungry serfs back 10
the mines 10 faint and dio at their
druRgery, and there remains today not
one guaranteed right of American citizen-
snip, che exercise Of which an injunction
has not somewhere made a crime by thuse
subversions of constitutional liberty. We
have met TO counsel together and havo
come 10 the following conclusions:
"Ihat, whereas, the present strike Of
the coal miners has again demonstrated
the fact that our so-called iberty is not
freedom, but is a stupendous sham, under
which millions are degenerating. while
hundreds of thousands of men, women
and children. are starving in novels and
on the public highway