Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-13
Wilcox's Presumption and Ignorance.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:


Is there any law under which ono WiIcox
a nonresident and domiciled outside the
corporate limits of the District of Columbia,
might be committed to ST. Elizabeth In
sane Asylum. If his mental incapacity can
be reasonably established? Manifestly he
is man of colossal and arrogant presump-
tion, and an unconvicted conspirator in the
estimation of at least eight-tenths OF all
thinking citizens. That the men whom he
represents In opposition to the striking
miners are conspirators in an effort to not
only suppress organized labor. but to i'm
pose untold misery and suffering on the
people generally, is easy Of demonstration;
and the courts OF other days would have
found no difficulty In 30 adjudicating, with
resultant imprisonment, the speedy Sc
quence to such trial. If Mr. Wilcox is
not insane he knows that his contention as
to the illegality of the miners organization
is utterly untenable in both law and reason
and quite unworthy of even serious consid-
Grafton. If his mental impairment i. ad-
mitted he should be restrained of his lib
erty, SO that no harm shall result from his
idiotic utterances and his friends be spared
the humiliation incident to any repetition of
such an Illogical legal opinion. Perhaps
this very imoecility may account for the
arrogant attitude of these coal and railroad
barons. If so perhaps Wilcox is even more
accountable than his employing conspirators
all of whom, In the earlier days of the re-
public, when our judiciary was less ham
pered with technicalities, would have been
indicted. tried, convicted and sentenced to
the penitentiary law-breakers enemies
Of the republic, and unmtigated extor-
TONERS
Under the Constitution of the United
States every citizen thereof is vested with
all the privileges and immunities of citizen
ship; and no man. nor combination of men,
can legally, however wealthy or infIuen-
a @ ha n{,,tC hid.
such rights and immunities whether con-
sidered from the viewpoint Of political re-
ligious, industrial or commercial preroga-
tives. Manifestly any attempt to abridpe
these respective rights, whether at the in
stigation Of one or more persons or es the
representative Of many, is a plain infringe
ment on the rights OF all so interfered with;
and all parties found guilty of such an in
fringement are proper subjects of indict-
ment, triad; conviction and punishment I'M
der that clause. OF the Constitution known
as Article. KY, Section 1, of which Mr..
Wilcox seems to have a very limited knowl-
edge ~ > -"
In conclusion, If were President of the
United States,aI would Immediately con-
vene Congress IN extraordinary session and
submit Recommendation for the earliest
possible acquisition Of a sufficient number
of anthra cite coal mines to constitute a
live and invfncible competition in the pro-
duction ana saae or anthracite coal at a fair
price. and SO intrench it that no possible
combination could either eliminate or con-
troll It. -" 10
l would also formulate and recommend
law fully competent to regulate and control
all kinds of unlawful trusts and combina-
lions, and then 1 recommend the enactment
Of laws creating, regulating and recurring
compulsory arbitration in all the states by
the organization Of state and national
boards Of arbitration. These several meas
ures must ultimately chrystalize into law
for the benefit OF all interests and that
justice may be assured every citizen and
partially denied all; and the sooner these
matters receive practical and honest atten-
ton the better for the republic and every
honest citizen.
I would not crush nor oppose honest and
lawful combinations whether Of capital or
labor, but would protect each from the un-
fair attacks OF the other, to the end that
all might prosper and the nation attain to
all the dignity. honor and civilzing infiu-
ence of the most wonderful nation Of the
world.
To do this unlawful conspiracies Of all
kinds must speedily find their Waterloo and
such as Mr.. Wilcox and his coterie be rele-
gated to the confines of an infirmary or
elsewhere. r. w. SHECKELIS.