Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-09-02
The Evolution of Injunction.

The REGISTER, we believe. was one
the first papers in this State-some
twelve years ago-to protest against
the usurpatlon of power by the Federal
courts. At the time of the great Chi
cago strike in 1894, very few papers
or public men could be found TO pro-
test against the outrages perpetrated
by Cleveland and the Federal judiciary
throughout the land. This disposition
on the part of the Federal courts to
trample upon all lava and break over all
restraint has become so pronounced in
the present coal miners strike that
papers all over the country, not en-
tirely under plutocratic control, are
now protesting against this inquiry al
most as vigorously as did the REGIS
TER some three years ago. 1t is a
strange thing that in this free Repub-
lie plea should have to be made for
free speech and the right to peacably
assemble and petition for redress OF
grievances; but so it is, as the follow
ing facts will hear witness.
When it was found that j. r. Sow
ereign was going to address the peo-
pie of Pocahontas, w. Va, the Mayor
of that municipality put forth the fol-
lowing proclamation:
Whereas, in the present state of
excitement public meetings or assem-
blages of persons will in my opinion
be a menace to the public peace, | do
hereby prohibit all public meetings
or assemblages of more than three
persons upon the streets or any public
place within the corporate limits of
said town, and the sergeant and police
force are hereby ordered to enforce
this proclamation. Signed,
r. G.. PEMBERTON, Mayor"
So it seems the right to peacably as
semble and discuss grievances may be
a matter dependent upon the opinion
of one man!
The President of the village board
of Coffeen, Illinois, directed, in sub
stance, that all residents of that viii
lage should remain in doors and every
body else was ordered to leave town
Thus we see that government by in
junction is being supplemented by
government by proclamation.
The Injunction issued by Justice
jackson on Aug. 18th enioins defend
ants from congregating in, on or
ABOUT the premises of the plaintiff for
the purpose of inducing the employees
of said mines to quit and abandon
their work In Them" from conducting
or leading any body or bodies of men
UP TO. or upon the premises of the
plaintiff for the purpose of Inducing,
etc., and from lin any manner inter-
fering with the plaintiffs employees
while they may be passing to and from
their work in said mines on or near
the plaintiffs premises" In other
words, if the boys OF the REGISTER Of
fee should strike the editor could give
a friend in East St. Louis ten dollars
worth of stock and get Federal
judge, through that friend, to enjoin
any one from asking the new employees
of the REGISTER Office to leave their
employment, while they should be
passing along the street to or from
their work. under pain of being i'm
prisoned at the viii of the judged
II the Baldwin Brothers should have
a dispute with their men, by resortlng
to similar tactics they could have a
Federal Judge enioin their men from
meeting in Emerson's park to discuss
their grievances and to prevent any
one standing on the sidewalk from re-
questing them not to go to work, or
from discussing the feasibility of quit
ting work and seeking employment