The age-herald., 1900-06-13
THOMPSON ATTACKS
 THE LABOR UNIONS
Makes SensationaIS Speech Before
 Industrial Commission.
HE ADVOCATED RIGID LAWS
Says Labor Organizations Are Today the Greatest Menace to the Gov ernment That Exists-Lead-
 CTS Avowed Socialists

Washington, June 12.-N. F. Thompson, secretary of the Southern Industrial con- vention of Huntsville, Ala, gave some sensational testimony before the industrial commission today.
 Labor organizations are today said MT. Thompson, "the greatest menace to this government that exists. Their influ- ence for disruption and disorganization of society is far more dangerous to the per petuation of our government in its purity and power than would be the hostile army on our borders of the armies of the entire world combined"
 MT. Thompson declared that he made this statement from years of close study and field of the widest opportunities for ob- servation, embracing the principal indus trial centers both of the north and the south. In support of his statement he said that "on every hand and for the slightest provocation all classes of or ganized labor stand ready to inaugurate a strike with all its attendant evils and that in addition to this stronger ties of con soldation are being urged all over the country among labor unions with the view of being able to inaugurate sympathetic strike that will embrace all classes or Ia bor, simply to redress the grievances or right the wrongs of one class, however re- motely located or however unjust may De the demands of that class"
 He maintained that organizations teach ing such theories should be held as treas enable in their character and their leaders worse than traitors to their country.
 Leaders Are Avow ed socialists
 Mr. Thompson declared that many labor leaders open and avoWed socialists that their organizations are weakening the ties of citizenship among thousands of our people, in that they have no other standard of community obligations than what these organiZat tions inculcate; that they are ere ating widespread disregard for the rights of others; that they are destroying respect for law and authority among the working classes; that they are creating antagoniSm between employer and employe; that they are destroying the right of individual con tract between employers and employees and forcing upon employers men at arbitrary wages and that they are bringing public reproach upon the judicial tribunals of our country by public abuse of these tribunals and often open defiance of their judgments and decrees, thus seeking to break down the only safeguards of a free people.
 The remedy for these evils lies, he said, principally in correct public sentiment touching the relations that should exist between labor and capital. He also sug gested the organization of employers in all lines of business as the first step to correct the evils in contracts forced upon individual employers by labor unions; uniform law that would take the individual workman out from under the ban of reDroach, such as ''scab" or black list,'' he thought, would aid this general work of re-establish- ing correct relations between labor and capital and duly protect the rights of indi- viduals
 Justifiiable Homicide
 "A further law" he added, should be enacted that would make it justfiable homicide for any killing that occurred in defense of any lawful occupation, the the ory of our government being that any one has right to earn an honest living in this country and any endeavor to deprive one of that right should be placed in the same legal status with deprivation of life and property"
 In view of the close relationship existing among all classes of our citizens and the interdependency of all interests strikes and boycotts he thought, should be made felony, both by national and state legis- lation; and to secure adequate relief for the grievances for which strikes and boy cotts are inaugurated, he suggested the formation of state and national boards of arbitration, authorized and empowered to settle all matters of difference between la- Dor and capital, whose decrees should be binding on the party affected.
 In reply to MT Kennedy, MT. Thompson said he could not name a national labor leader who Is an avowed socialist but that in Alabama the agitators were generally socialists. He thought public sentiment in the south would justify the shooting of union men who interfered with non-union men at work because it was held that a man had as much right to defend his oc- cupaton as he had to protect hhs life He said also in reply to MT. Kennedy that the south was holding out as inducements to the manufacturers of textiles that if they came south they would be free from labor strikes There Is, he said, a move- ment on foot to put it beyond the power of labor unions by means of compulsory arbitration to disturb industrial condi- tions. MT. Thompson expressed the opin- ion that negro labor is essential to the prosperity of the south, and he also said that the south was very prosperous at the present time.