Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-10-23
the CamdenPo Post telegram ,Repubi of
CONGRESSMAN L0UDENSLAGER'S RECORD
AS A FRIEND OF ORGANIZED LABOR
Labor Organizations Got No Aid From Him When the Anti
Conspiracy Bill Was Before Congress.
HIS ACTIONS NOT CONSISTENT WITH HIS CLAIMS
70 the editor Of tie Post Telegram,

TO the editor Of tie Post Telegram.
Henry G. Loudenslager has just dis
covered after ten years of service as the
representative in Congress of the First Dis
trict of New Jersey, that he is a friend of
organized labor. This conclusion of Mr.
Loudenslager's, concerning himself, must
stand or fall with his acts in Congress, as
recorded in the only authoritative source Of
information, the Congressional Record
THE FACT IS ON RECORD-AND
THE RECORD Is ACCESSIBLE TO ANY
ONE - THAT Mr.. LOUDENSLAGER
VOTED, IN DEFIANCE OF THE VIGOR-
GUS PROTEST OF MORE THAN ONE
MILLION ORGANIZED WORKINGMEN,
FOR AN AMENDED BILL WHICH WAS
CLAIMED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF
ORGANIZED LABOR WOULD EN-
DANGER AND POSSIBLY DESTROY
WORKINGMEN'S RIGHT TO ORGAN
IZE. MOREOVER, HE REMAINED
SILENT WHEN LABOR'S FRIENDS, ON
THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE, ASKED
FOR A SEPARATE VOTE ON THE
AMENDMENTS OBJECTED TO BY
ORGANIZED LABOR.
The facts cited below are taken from the
proceedings of the House of Representa-
tives, as reported in the Congressional
Record for February 1S, 1901 =
Mr.. Littlefeld, of Maine, moved a sus-
pension Of the rules in order to put on its
passage with the amendments reported by
the Judiciary Committee the bill H. R.
8917) to limit the meaning of the word
conspiracy" and also the use of RESTRAIN
ing orders and injunctions" as applied to
disputes between employers and employees
in the District of Columbia, or Territories,
or engaged in commerce between the several
States, District of Columbia and Territories
and with foreign nations
Mr.. Fleming, of Georgia, asked unan-
imous consent for separate vote on the
two amendments reported by the majority
of the Judiciary Committee, and said =
"Under motion to suspend the rules
we are allowed to vote only on the bill as
amended by the committee"
Unanimous consent for a separate vote
was not given, however, and Mr.. Louden-
slager, who has recently made the strange
discovery that he is friend Of labor's
cause" did not offer word in support of
the request for separate vote.
The significance of Mr.. Loudenslager's IS
silence will be seen in what follows.
The bill, with the amendments, was
read The bill proper was to the effect
that mo agreement, combination, or con-
tract by or between two or more persons to
do, or procure to be done, or not to do, or
procure not to be done, an act in contem-
plation or furtherance of any trade dispute
between employers and employer shall be
deemed criminal, nor shall those engaged
therein be indictable or otherwise punish
able for the crime OF conspiracy if such act
committed by one person would not be
punishable as a crime, nor shall any re-
strining order or injunction be issued with
relation thereto"
A reasonable bill, surely. But, in the
Judgment of Congressman sincerely in
terested in the labor cause, and in the
judgment of the leading labor officials in
the United States, the amendments made
by the Judiciary Committee utterly de-
feated the purpose of the bill and threaten
ed the stability of other laws framed for
the protection of labor organizations.
Mr.. Terry, of Arkansas, said the amend
ments proposed by the House Committee
tended to defeat the very object that the
laboring men had in view when the origin
al bill was offered and effectually destroyed
other legislation enacted for the protection
of labor organizations.
Mr.. Clayton, of Alabama, said the bill
WITHOUT THE AMENDMENTS served
to take away from the courts the power to
interfere in labor disputes when the men
are not doing anything in violation of the
rights Of others. 1t is to limit the exercise
of the enjoining power that the bill was
drafted.
Mr.. Clayton read one of the amedments
and said =
''That is sort Of blanket clause under
which the power of the courts may be in
voked on the side of the corporations
against the laboring men in their disputes. :"
He had letter, protesting against the
amendments, from H. R. Fuller, the legis-
latiye representative, at Washington, of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, the
Order of Railway Conductors, the Brother
hood of Railroad Trainmen and the Order
of Railroad Telegraphers.
He also red telegram from Grand
Master P. H. Morrisey, of the Brotherhood