The sun., 1902-07-11
Will the Iittien~id Bili Except
Labor Organizations?

II will be remembered that when Mr..
LIrrLEFiELD's anti-trIst bill OF 100
passed the House. bv a vote of "a TO l, II
carried with IL an amendment excepting
labor organiza, ions from the operations
Of the law.
The exact language Of this am endment
is here printed
Nothing In this a., shall be 80 construed ~ TO
Apply 10 trades unions other labor orsan'tauons'
organi.ed for the purpose Of regulating wages
hours OF labor OF other conditions under which
labor TO be performed
This sweeping exemption, removing
trusts, monopolies or combinations OF
labor from the proposed Federal control
Of injurious grcSatlonS IN restraint
of foreign or Interstate commerce, was
attached to MIR IIrTlEFIELD's bill by "A
vote Of 20 to : II was not even dis
ctlSsed Not "A word a. uttered on
either side ( ,hc House IN regard Ia
the merits oi 'hc proposition.
Will similar provision bc incor-
porated by Mr. LITTLEriHLD in the great
measure which il To be presented by him
70 Congress for enactment AT the coming
session?
We Judge not and our reasons for that
opinion are those
Among the eight Congressman who
voted against the amendment excepting
labor organizations from an otherwls"
general law was the gentleman from
Maine He did not then give hls reasons
for resisting the attempted disCrimina-
ton in favor of combinations uf labor.
He had no opportunity AT that time to
explain: for, A. we have s1ld, the vote
was taken on the amendment without
any discussion.
But Mr.. LITrLEFiELD opportunity
70 define his position on this question
came 10 him few months later, in Feb
ruary Of 1901 and he embraced the occa-
sion and declared hls views with Ia,
accustomed fearlessnrss. precision and
lucidity Of statement.
The measure then under consideration
was the bill to limit the meaning Of the
word conspiracy and also the Use Of
restraining orders and lnjunctions IA
applied To disputes between employers
and employees In the District of Colum-
bia. in the Territories. and IN commerce
between the several States and with
foreign nations We can do No better
than To give Mr. LIrTLEFIELp's views
in his own impressive and luminous
language. He said
The sherman AM Trust 49, docs not Ia terms
apply TO labor ofsar 'a''pns Will read part 81
th. nrst section
Every contract or con hnAtlon N form 90
trust or otherwise. OF conspiracy In restraint 90
trade or commerce among the '-yera states 80
With foreign ration Is hereby declared to hs
Illegal
Every contract lu form ~ 'rYv 90 otherwise
That does rot apps IN terms 20 labor organizations
u does no, Apply 20 terms 90 individuals II Affects
them when Organization, . individuals 81 corpora
tons enter into cnntfacts Agreements In restraint
of Interstate ifade ard commerce II a?TIies 20
all equally ana aI.s,. H' 'rs'g r-iri7a. . .-sN
10 april and the committee did not below ma
even the Inhot Organizations. when 'rsy came q"
ioos this ms'ter over rAre'u'lr. ,ou.f dS'i'' 90
e--i-c't1r m 'As' .If1' . q 4g4l7u o'a,' o';s''
of the RsrHa'r
w. could not ,Ay rs r-rortirg 'hs NH - they
suggested u 70 tho committee that Se would d.
eriminatc IN favor ~ or against any clA>, IN th's
country We could ari SAy ,ha, ~ would author
ts- and p-'m LABOR organizations to fc'tr,ln
in,erSta,. trade nd comr-cr-e and punish Nra
IN. and Imp. ,1Hr.ni Other p~or~ for doing ne
same thing and accomplishing No sane result
w, sii ~ ssi--- uI' -5s' 90 va r-s ~ orS ava
rosI o. lr'ias-
In our opinion this - sufficient evi-
denCc that Mr. lITTtEftff.D who," views
on trust repression and all collateral
questions are now of such universal
interest a. the American people, has not
changed his mind since h" voted with
seven other congressman against the
amendment excepting labor organ!la-
tions from the operation of his former
legislative project.
Is II at all likely that now, when thus
statesman, philosopher and lawmaker
is preparing larger plan for Federal
control of trusts. not only IA Interstate
commerce. hr also within the States
Themselves. h" ron'empla'"~ a discrim-
ination which shall make hsh oi one
and fowl Of another