The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-12
DEMOCRATIC DOCTRINE
AT BANQUET IN BOSTON
Vdsbe Speech of ex-SeCretary of State Oney,
Who Discussed Existing Coal Strike.
STARRING Attitude of the Coal Baon Caused by Long Years of
Violated Laws Under Republican Rule.

swapping their fingers in his face. The
presidents overture 10 the coal opera
tors was prompted by the best motives
and should have been treated with re-
spectful consideration. II must have
been declined cOurteously, even II
firmly. But the opportunity 10 admin
lister a snub 20 the president was too
tempting. Accordingly he was not only
treated as a rash intermeddler; he was
also lectured upon the law and facts OF
the case. and TO crown all was notified
that the cause OF the trouble was law
lessness, which he was sarcastically
invited TO suppress.
For sheer audacity this attitude OF
the coal operators could hardly be
matched and nothing could more
strongly emphasize the disrepute Into
which the law OF the land has been
brought by long continued Republican
domination. Yet who are they who
where so insistent upon the suppress
sion of lawlessness in the mining re-
gions? Why. the most unblushing and
persistent of law breakers. For years
they have defed the law Of Pennsyl-
vania, which fOrbids common carriers
engaging in the business Of mining.
For years they have Disseminated be-
tween customers in the freight charges
on their railroads, in violation of the
interstate commerce law. For years
they have unlawfully mOnopolized in
terstate commerce. in violation OF the
sherman antitrust law.
Violators Of Law.
Indeed. the very best excuse and
exclamation for their audacious attl-
tude at Washington is. they have vio-
lated so many laws for so long they
might rightfully think they were wholly
immune from either punishment or re-
proach-
1T is urged in exteHuation of the
/ coal operators foolishly offensive tone
at the conference. that they were en-
ragged at the recognition OF labor unions
and the presence by invitation OF their
| representative. If 1t be so. they must
be as blind Ia the salient facts OF the
era they are living In as they are
/ oblivious Of legal obligations
In these days OF combination by
/ capital on a scale and TO an extent as
/ startling as II is uRPrecedented, can
/ they possibly imagine that labor is 10
/ be denied an equivalent right OF com
/ binatiOn? Ii they do, IL is only another
! instance of their complete indifference
/ 70 the law Of the land.
Law Recognizes Unionism.
I'm 1894 representatives Of a railroad
! were brought into court on a claim
! that hborers ought not 10 be discharged
/ because of membership ia labor unions
| Though the court was a federal court,
il sat in Pennsylvania and the petit
I TONERS got nothing from that court.
What followed? A year or two later
Pennsylvania made IL a criminal or
Tense TO deprive a man OF work because
ne belonged 10 labor unions. In 1879
congress not only did the same. but, IN
a statute providing for the arbitration
/ OF labor disputes, expressly made labor
| organizations parties 10 suits or arbi-
I tratiOn This was supplemental TO leg
| islation by congress encouraging and
providing for the Incorporation of labor
unions. In ignoring them, therefore,
the coal operators simply ignore and
| condemn the law of the land
in the course Of the present cam
paign now going on Republican orators
are sure 20 wax eloquent in deprecating
/ changes. To all such oratory, while
/ there are many good answers. there is
one that is conclusive. Law, supreme
and equal for all men, is to be 10 the
American people what the Ark Of the
/ Covenant was 10 the Jews of OLD
While we have il we need not fear fol-
our safety; when We lose II we are Tar
| advanced on the high road 10 ruin
I Hence IL We would not enter on that
road. a change and a displacement OF
| RepubliCanism cannot come too soon OF
] too decislvely."