Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-16

is no longer the highest form of fiattery.
What have the Canadian toflers done that
their employers have not led the way py
example7 When Canadian manufacturers
and Industries want foremen managers
or overseers, they invariably go TO the
United States, take the desired parties into
Canada and place them over the Canaolan
workingmen and women, to regulate their
hours of labor, rates Of wages, and other
conditions. The workers did not demur,
but looked upon it from a commercial
standpoint purely, business propos1tlon.
This has been forgotten, now that the
workers desire to become banded together
from zone to zone and from pole to pole.
Where did the Kingston manufacturers
go when they wanted to organize put 10
Cincinnati for Organizer De Brull of the
National Manufacturers Association, of
which David M. Parry is the president!
And to his followers rightfully belongs
the name of 'Parrysites.'
The similarity of the phraseology or all
,the international union assailants goes to
show that there is concerted action on
the part of the capitalistic interests to
divide the movement of the workers by
boundary>line and flag, but their objects
are obvious; they have as much love for
a national or purely Canadian union as
they have for the smallpox. Despite the
efforts of the opposing forces, international
unionism continues, and only recently as
many as forty-six subordinate locals were
organized in fifteen days. The argument or
the labor leaders against the passage OF this
bill against international unionism mas
moral; it is: "A man once tried to stay
haven't found him yet. "
The early closing movement of grocery
stores entered largely into the discussions
of the recent meeting of Grocery Clerks
Union, No. 533. Reports were made that
the union is making steady progress and
that the local employers are becoming
reconciled to the fact that 1t not only ben
1Gk lot. 1~,,% how hon
profit by it in the end The new officers
of the union as recently elected, are: Presi-
dent John Rogers; first vice president, A.
F. Stern second vice president; George ).
corresponding and recording secretary,
Alfred Fuss; treasurer, Joseph O'Brien;
guide, w. Levitt; guardian, Charles F.
Harold.
At the regular meeting of Retail Clerks
Union, No. 262, George B. Squires, who
recently resigned as its president, was
presented with a handsomely inscribed gold
ring as mark of appreciation and esteem
of the membership. Mr.. SquireS served
five terms as president of the body.
BARRIERS local unions, Nos. 800 and 305,
met in joint session recently and drafted
the first sixteen articles of a new set of
bylaws 1t was also unanimously decided
that every union shop shall hereafter close
at o'clock pm. on legal holiday, II II
II o'clock noon. The report of the secre-
tary of Local Union, No. ,239, showed an
increase in membership of twenty-five
within two weeks and that seventeen more
employers had signed the union contract.
In addition to commenting on many time
ly topics in the current issue of the official
journal of the American Federation of
Labor, President Samuel Gompers of that
body discussed new judicial usurpation
through injunctions,' pointing out instances
of the alleged circumvention of the power
of organized labor. Mr.. Gompers says, In
part:
"Organized labor has received some plain
and striking object lessons in the last few
weeks with regard to court injunctions in
labor disputes. The ST. Louis and the
Waterbury injunctions present novel and
extraordinary features. Though the first
of these is a closed incident it demands
the consideration of those who seek to put
legislative restrictions the pernicious
practice.
Here is the Wabash case in a nutsheil:
Free American citizens, dissatisfied with
the terms and conditions of their employ
ment, demand certain concessions from the
company employing them. They meet, dis
cuSS their grievances, choose men to rep
resent them before the agents and repre-
sentatives of their employers: and finally,
after repeated and unsuccessful attempts
to obtain their due-or what they think
their due-agree to walk out. Not one step
in this series is tainted with illegality'
Referring to the fact that the employees
did not strike after voting to do so, but re-
ferred the duty of calling a strike to the
officers of the brotherhood, Mr. Gompers
says:
An injunction was granted, without no
tee to the defendants, prohibiting them
the officers)-from doing what? Not only
from 'coercing' the Wabash employees into
a strike but also from persuading, Undue
ing or causing them, directly indirectly,
to go out on strike.
Wonderful, marvellous injunction logic,
1T is illegal to obstruct traffic and the
mails; hence it must be Illegal to order d
strike which may cause such obstruction,
and from this to the prohibition of moral
suasion and advice is but short STEP
But since when has it been unlawful In
this free government to persuade advise
or induce man to do a perfectly legal
thing?
What federal or state statute stamps
such persuasion and advice as criminal?
How can a court of equity abolish the
constitutional rights of American citizens?
Here is what Judge Adams says in his
opinion regarding the right to strike and
to induce strikes:
They (the employes) may seek and Oh
tain counsel and advice concerning their
rights, duties and obligations in relation to
their employer, and persons interested IL
their welfare may advise, aid and assist
them in securing such terms and conditions
of service as will best subserve their inter
ests, and what they may lawfully do sngly
or together they may organize and combine
to accomplish
Holding these rational and correct views
how could Judge Adams sign a writ for.
bidding men to advise, induce or cause a
strike by moral suasion and the exercise O.
the right of free speech?
There is no escape from the conclusion
that, on his own theory, that clause of III ,
injunction which prohibited the heads of
the brotherhoods from advising and induc-
ing strike was utterly unwarranted in
law.
But all this is not nearly so discourag-
ing as the chorus of approval with which
the injunction was greeted by editors law
yerS and business men who were fully
cogniZant of the real facts of the situation
1.-THE time has come when legislation
must limit the discretion of chancery
courts with respect to injunctions Notice
must be made mandatory in all cases. and
the perversion of law by judges must be
stopped.
These conclusions are reinforced by the
Waterbury injunction. The Waterbury,
Conn., strike was unfortunately accom-
panied by violence and lawlessness. al
though there is no evidence that organized
labor participated in or was in any way re-
sponsible for this lawlessness But the sit.
uation did not justify the omnibus iniunc-
ton against all the unions and all the mi On
workmen in the place. 1t did not Justify
the prohibition of peaceable picketing.
peaceable boycotting and the use of the
streets by the strikers and their friends