The times., 1898-11-26
MANY NEEDS OF LABOR.
Mr.. Gompers Sends Letter to the
President.

Samuel Gompers. president of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, has written
letter TO President Mckinley outlining
many OF the needs of labor, with the
hope that the President may embody some
of them as recommendations in his forth
coming annual message to Congress. Mr.
Gompers says, in part:
81 respectfully suggest that you recon-
mend to Congress the passage of a law
providing for the establishment of the
eight-hour work~ay on all work done by
or for the Government. whether that work
be done by contractors or subcontractors.
The wonderfully improved methods of
production, the great productivity of the
workers, and the large number of unem-
ployed toilers today should prompt the
Government of the United States to take
the initiative for the Introduction of the
eIght-hour workday. watch will tend TO
the protection Of the waGe-earners and
the improvement of their condition. The
Government of the United States, ii not
a model employer, should at least be a
fairly generous one
In speaking of the method of govern
ment by injunction, Mr. Gompers says:
Within the past few years a new weap-
on has been brought into play in the dis
putes between employer and the employ
ed heretofore unknown TO the law so far
as it has been applied to either the crimi-
| nal the political or the police powers of
| the State-thc now well-known weapon
| OF the judicial injunction, restraining
workmen from doing certain things recog-
nized by the codes as perfectly within the
] lawful limit OF their rights. As a lay
| men, it is not within my province to dis
| cuss the legal rights and the legal re-
strictions of the workman, Of the citizen;
| but the thought is nevertheless upper
most in my mind that it is Il well-estab-
lished principle in law that an injunction
! should never lie when there Is another
| complete remedy at law. Nor should the
| people be deprived of the exercise Of their
| rights by the issuance Of writ never con-
| templated by our system of jurispru-
/ dence.
Nor is the court injunction in its mod
ern application alone injurious and wrong
/ fui in the disputes which arise in rela-
I tions between the workers and their EN-
ployers. but is equally menace to re-
| publican institutions.
at may seem a stretch of the imagina-
| ton and fearful to contemplate, but If the
| exercise of this function of the courts Is
! not soon curbed, we may some day wit
| ness not only Congress enjoined, but the
President OF the United states SerNei
with an injunction prohibiting him from
placing his signature To a law passed by
| Congress, and, perhaps. brought to the
bar for contempt. Who knows but we
may some time see the Presidency of the
| United States decided upon writ issued
by a Federal Judge
During the Fifty-fourth Congress nu-
merous bills were introduced with the OBJ
| ject of curbing the powers of judges sit
| ting as courts of equity in issuing injunc-
| tions One bill passed the Senate proyid-
| ing that when an Injunction has been
issued the party enjoined, who may vio-
| late the order of the court, should have
/ the privilege of jury trial. This bill,
! should II become a law, would prevent in
| carceration without trial by jury; but,
! such provision though removing a great
4 wrong complained of. Vet retains intact
with the issuance of the injunction the
deprivation of the exercise of lawful
| rights in the meantime. All these infiict
| injury upon the workers. inasmuch as
| they interfere with the exercise of those
| rights and functions which may prevent
wrongs being inflicted upon them. or in
| terfere with their effort to obtain better
| conditions of labor. For these reasons the
bill referred to as having passed the Sen
| ate is deemed absolutely insufficient and
| inadequate.
Having every regard for the courts. we
submit that while they have the Sower to
interpret the laws. and TO enforce them,
| they should be curbed in the issuance of
| a writ so violative of the rights Of the cit
| liens, so menacing to the liberty of our
! people and so destructive of our free in
stitutions."