The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-08
TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Editorial ROOm,-.....s2s Counting RoO~-,..,,.s11
THE INTELLIGENCER.
wnnELINo. sEprEMnna 8, lsOn
AI.r,lat, . FaI., rrl,nd o. Labor.

IlA-JONs allbNAlAt W. hilI NphAsS Va AAS
labor day speech at Philadelphia, refer
ring TO the recent injunctiOns in this
state, said: Recently a Judge in West
Virginia issued an injunction forbidding
the exercise OF free speech and actually
forbiddIng men from marching on the
highway, no matter how peaceable they
might be-"
It is through such Misrepresentation
as this on the part OF men of Altgeldts
character that the masses OF the people
have gained a wrong impression of the
scope and character of the injunctions
issued in this state. Altgeldt. II he has
taken the pains TO investigate, or II he
has read the only decision which has
been rendered defining the scope of the
inJunctIon-the decision of Judge Goff-
knows that he has deliberately, and with
purpose, mIsrepresented the matter.
Altgeldt Is a lawyer and was himself
on the bench previous to his election as
governor OF Illinois, and previous TO his
development into political demagogue
Certainly he should be capable OF under
standing a judicial decision which was
couched in language so plain and COM
prehensive that the humblest miner I'M
derstood 1t.
In that decision, which sustained the
injunction, It was plainly laid down that
It did not and could not suppress free
speech. Everybody In the mining re-
glons of West Virginia knows that It did
not suppress free speech. Not one meet
ing by the agltators was interfered with
by the Injunction. Speeches were being
made daily to the miners by the strike
leaders and no injunction was ever
served on them. There was absolutely
no infringement of the right OF strikers
to persuade others to strike, so long as
persuasion and not threats was used.
Marching was not interfered with, except
in one instance where the highway led
through the property Of the mine COM
pahy and the marching was conducted
in such manner as to prevent men who
wanted to work from going to the mine.
or to embarrass them.
In no place In the country has the free
dom OF speech and action been less re-
etrlcted than It has been in the region in
West Virginia where the injunction was
secured to restrain the strikers from in
terferlng with the rights OF others; until
those rights were interfered with the In
junction was not served and no arrests
were made.
A great deal of the misrepresentation
ana transformation that are abroad re-
gardlng the injunction proceedings in
this state is due to the reckless dem
agogy OF such men as Altgeldt, and to
the misstatements OF Debs and few
other political Adventures who are try
ing to use the honest workingmen of the
country to further their personal ends.
II is fortunate, by the way, that Union
labor OF the country Is beginning to see
through Debs' plan to thus involve
Unlonism in his soclallstic Democracy
scheme, and they are coming to the res
cue ~ Unlonlsm from the danger Of dis
ruptlon such as 1t encountered once be-
fore In its history in similar manner.
The Intelllgencer is no advocate of
government by injunction. II can see
how the power OF injunction can be
abused; II knows that there have been
occasions when It has been abused, and
the matter Of prescribing the limits OF
power Ia being discussed by statesmen
and jurists In a way which lnsures that
the question VIII be dealt with wisely,
and not in the spirit characteristic OF
the blatant demagogues who would abol-
ish the courts and other safeguards OF
American institutions
But the Intelllscncer does not propose
that the judiciary OF this state shall con-
tlnue to be mlsrepresented, by men who
are either ignorant or consclenceless,
without a protest, II has from the be-
ginning unparalleled with the cause OF
the miserhbly paid and suffering miners,
II would not be true to the doctrine II
has always advocated, that there can be
no true prosperity without well paid la
Dor, II II did not have this sympathy,
but II has not had and will not have
any sympathy for the political dema-
gogue who will take advantage of the
distress Of the wnge- worker who Il ask.
Ing for bread to give him stone by IN
flaming its mind against the laws, which
are made for His protection az well al
for the protection OF the greatest In the
land
Such person IN no true friend Of la
Dor. and such q pereon IN Altgol1t.
= l.