The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-10-27
Trades Council Protests Against
 Government by Injunction ID AROUSE PEOPLE IF ALA
A Vigorous Paper Adopted at Meeting Held Yesterday Afternoon-Steps Taken to Defend the Life of
 Trades Unlonlsm.

The Birmingham Trades council met in regular session yesterday afternoon at Bricklayers' hall, President P. H. Moore in the chair.
 The question of injunction was discuss ed at length. A committee composed of H. A. Markey, H. N. Randall, L. c. Coleman, George Lockwood and w. F. Mccartney was appointed to look after such matters and to obtain legal advice and take other steps necessary for the preservation of unionism and the lib- critics of the workers.
 The following address was submitted, adopted and ordered published:
 Protest Against Injunctions.
 We wish to enter a protest against government by injunction" and to, if possible arouse the people of Alabama to the enormity of this crime against nu- man liberty There is a superstition among us that this is a government Of the people, for the people, and by the people," but the fact Is, that 1t Is rapid ly degenerating into a government or the capitalists, for the capitalists, and by the judges. If anyone is inclined to dis pute this assertion let him look up the history of injunctions as applied in the disputes between capital and labor ana he will find that this form of govern ment instead of deriving its just powers from the consent of the governed derives it's powers from the cratic will Of venal and corrupt judiciary, and in the light of events, we cannot help put pe- lieve, that many of them are owned pooy and soul by rich corporations.
 We have no quarrel with courts or iudges. for using the power vested in them, to fine or imprison anypooy' TUT contempt of court, while this power isl e&- ercised while the court is in session. anu fin due exercise of the power and author itv delegated it by our laws and con stitutions but when the courts reach out and arrogate to themselves powers never delegated to them by the people or thelr representative in legislatures or congress and enjoin people from doing anything ln itself lawful, or enjoins them from oolns anything unlawful (already prescrlpeo by law and penalties provided for 1helr commission), and if said acts are com rnitted. the court constitutes itself judge jury and executioner and punishes per sons not for the deed done, but for con- tempt of court, then the people permitting those things have lost all semblance or freedom and become the veriest slaves and the judges exercising such authority the most obnoxious tyrants.
 Any man who believes that the Declara- tion of Independence was meant to be literally construed, instead of being mass of "glittering generalities," and that the founders of this republic intended to form a government as nearly in accord with the principles enunciated In 1t, as their wisdom could dictate, and who has not lost every aspiration for human lib. erty and human advancement, must feel contempt--utter, unspeakable contempt for the minions of capital, judges or others who so prostitute themselves to subjugate liberty.
 This subject, government by injunction, has been. so ably and exhaustiyely dis cussed recently by able jurists, editors and people in every walk of life, that we will content ourselves with pointing out a few incontrovertible facts as clearfy and succinctly as possible, which no amount of legal pressing or ''musty prece- dent's can cloud and is within the under standing of every one of ordinary intel ligence:
 Reasons for Injunctions.
 l. That if any of the acts complained of in prayers for injunctIons, and en- joined by injunctions when granted are unlawful or criminal the person or per- sons committing those acts can be pun ished under the law which prescribes and provides penalties for the commits sion of such acts, and the complainant has recourse to the law through ordinary processes.
 g. If the acts complained of and en- joined are in themselves legal and inno- cent, there is no power vested in any court to make them criminal, and no in- junction do so.
 B. To punish any person or persons for contempt of court, said contempt consist ing in the commission of act enjoineG by an injunction, denies such person or persons the right of trial by jury, makes law a farce and mockery, and renders our courts as despotic as the most ab- soute despotism in history.
 We appeal to you to take this matter up, not as class. not as laborers or working people, but as citizens of this great republic, who have been laboring under the delusion that they had certain inalienable rights guaranteed them by. the constitution, and who have awakened