Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-10-01
INJUNCTIONS.

only are strikers enjoined, but railroad anu gas
companies, likewise.
Judge Randolph has enjoined certain rali-
roads, but Randolph is only Popullst'
Governor Pingree has been able to secure an
Injunction directed against gas company IN
Detroit.
II would be funny if injunctions should prove
to be two-edged sword, and one edge should
be lust as sharp as t'other edge. There would
be legal gore, and lots OF It,
Suppose the coal-miners should be able 10 oo-
tain an injunction restraining their employers
from cutting wages; and if wages were cut IN
defiance of such Injunction, let us suppose such
EMPLOYERS in court, answering to the charge OF
contempt Wouldn't there be howl! But 1t
is only matter of the kind of Judges
Even thu Topeka Capital admits that it Is
matter of whose COX is gored"
Judge Jackson's injunction gored the mines,
and Randolph's INDUCTION gored the railroad
companies. Foster gets III pretty gooo thrus'
on the broadside of the Kansas City stock eN-
change.
Judge Jackson defends his injunction on the
ground that for two hundred years 1t was COM
mon law that where property was threatened
with destruction, the persons so threatening
could be enioined Or in other words, Ill the
absence of law covering the case in question,
the judiciary might issue law.
The trouble with the injunctions against DeDs
and the miner lies in the fact that they ala not
threaten to violate common law. There IS no
such common law in America as that man
NAV not talk, or that body of men may not
march on the common highway.
We are not lawyers, but it would seem to me
that before man, or men, can be en]oineo
lawfully, there must first be some overt act, or
indication in acts, that most necessarily lead to
1av.breaking. 1t would also seem to us that
no man can be legally punished who has not
had fair trial
The right of anybody to shoot men who are
unarmed, and not engaged in the destruction OF
nroperty, has not yet arrived, Hanna and all
the other big men to the contrary.
All this cry against foreigners is on stop
thief principle. We all had foreign ancestry
aud 60. there is studied effort to dodge the
question. Is the rule to be established over the
Poles and Huns alone, that they must not march
upon the highway? And are injunct'oHs alone
to be issued against labor leaders?
These IRE fair questions. We want to know
at what line the judges will call halt, and II
they are the criterion
Debs has been enjoined from making speeches
to miners or striking iaborers III West Virginia,
and the Injunction has been made perpetual.
Miners in Pennsylvania have been enjolned
from marching on the CO mmon highway, AND
,uere chot down tor no other offence than march
mo in defiance of that little order of one little
man.
Those iniunctions are not in harmony with
common law-not in harmony with constitu-
t;oual law-not in harmony with statutory law
On the contrary, all these laws are violated, and
hence comes the alarm OF men who love Anerl-
can institutions,
We are drifting into all irresponsible despot-
ism. We are drifting i'll the direction OF old
world despotisms of, not the present times out
of times long since passed i'll the more advanced
civilizations of Europe.
No one with ounce OF brains VIII claim
that It is not common law. and constitutional
law. to publicly discuss questions OF general
interests. Debs proposed to talk to striking
miners about their grievances as laborng men.
r. cannot be truthfuly claimed that Debs has
ever publicly advised or melted riot or the wan
tou drestruction Of property. Onthe contrary,