The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-04-23
SOLICITOR THUR
VIEWS ON LOCKOUT.
Thinks MiH Officials are Liable
for eonspr in Criminal and
Civil Courts

certain South Carolina mills and IN
sAneusta as asIneans of forcing the
strikers "a the King mill of Augusta
/ To- return to work, has aroused much
interest. Solicitor aThurmond on beng
SappeaIedsto By some Of The operatives
locked has made sthe following res
onseSWhich he furnishes tosEhe State
forpubIicaaon:
NHvsopinionon on %thesIockontSis is this:
legal doctrine applica to enss
ployers isswe1l settled by Judicial. de-
cisionssand the best authority The.
relation employ and ennploye.
5ust1fesacts that tsare the natural M
sciidents sontgroWth sof such re1a tlon,
whether or not done with a direct
Intent to jnre the employer or
Semploye.
What caused the lockout IN Horse,
reeksvaHeYS strike the opera.
tiYes at the JJohn king mill IN -Au-
gastas fora ten persc cent, increase.
IN wages.
So the lockout is not due to- any
actsorsacts thatsaTe the natural lAcl-
dent and outgrowth of the relation
existing between mills IN Horse;
sCreekValley and the operatives but
SO the heconsrary,sthe3o operatives are pei
forming theirpart Of e the contract with
I the mi lls,WeI Ilsand satisfactorily So
the lockout diidsnot arise out of the
relation off fernplo and employeE by
any actor acts On the part 1.-THE em-s
pIoye Ihe MI lsare ing to coerce,
theiroperaJiVes, Of the John = King.
mill to return TO their work att the
5formergrate ofWages, and for this pnr-s
pose have combined and conspired
sagainststhe operatives Of their own:
mills to IN jure them IN order to.
benefit the John z. King MI
Sow, what IS the law Go back to-
the doctrine Ishave already announced
and see=whattstha highest tribunals III
this country and England say about
1T. They say The injurious act aor5
acts OF the employe be for his.
own benefit and for the advantage OF
his own business, e they aim at any. ~.
thing else they are unaaWful
The employers of Horse Creek valley
areEabIe onStlhe criminal side OF the
couxt for criminal conspiracy
They have induced those people TO.
700 there tos work at a certain price,
the operatives are doing their dnty,
and insorder to make an exhibition of
their great strength and power, which
were given them by the honest labor
ssof these same operatives, the mills
have turned whole families ont of the
mii1s with no means of support.
a conspiracy is cont bination OF
tWo or more persons TO do an unlawful
act or to do a. Lawful act IN an nnlaw-
full way. It has been repeatedly held
and is sound law, that q conspiracy
to deprive another Of his liberty or
property is q criminal conspiracy; !;
and ii has also been held, and the doc
trine. IS universally accepted, that
property includes business, calling,
etc. Hence conspiracy to deprive
these operatives Of their business,
their vocation, is an unlawful con-
spiracy, and every man concerned in
It is guilty Of crime
8 In my opinion on the civil side OF
the court, the mills In that conspiracy
may be enjoined from continuance
of that lockout.
The legislature has been very kind to
cotton mills, and has granted them
many favors, butt will certainly re-
sent such unlawful inhuman treat
ment to the citizenship Of Horse Creek
valley are no subjected to--The State.