The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-17
In Lab 5 Field.
LABORERS A unit.
Their Interests Are Knit in Legal
Fight Against Judge Cray's
Decision.
President Finley Of Mill Employees
Union Discusses the Pos.
sible Results.

.Ss sible Results.
| Now that the master plumbers Of st.
i Paul are In the courts seeking an injunc-
ton against the Plumbers union of that
4 city similar to the one Issued in the dis
trict court by Judge Cray against the
i electrical workers of this city, organized
labor Is thoroly aroused to the situation,
and every means will be used to maintain
the rights of labor. The federation coun-
Gil has taken UP labor's side of the affair
and shortly every union in the state will
be behind a concerted movement to assist
i the unions concerned in securing what
/ they believe is due them. That the Build
/ ing Trades Council of this city will be
backed by unions Of the entire state in its
/ fight for favorable action in the supreme
court Is certain. for there never was a
time in the history Of the labor move
ment In this city when all the union forces
j We're as firmly united. That much de-
ponds upon the outcome Of the electrical
workers case in the supreme court, there
i is no doubt, but none profess to see, the
! finish" Of unions In at.
It is currently reported that a meeting
i Of the general contractors Of the city was
4 held this week at the request of the cleo
Itrical contractors and that the whole sit
uation was gone over at that time. lt
lis SAID the telSCLr1Cal5 men OeSlfeQ Tie COLI
! tractors to discontinue all work upon jobs
on which union men refused to work on
account of work being performed by
non-union electricians, and in this way
tie UP all building in the city in an effort
to defeat the unions It Is pretty certain
such meeting was held, but the exact
basis of propositions considered and the
direct results are still to be developed.
A few days ago some workmen employed
4 on a certain Park avenue residence quit
work, presumably because snon-union cleo
i tricians were employed, and the result
was that work there was completely tied
llup. The matter was taken before the
Building Trades Council and afterward
men were secured to complete the work,
hut it isrnot thought this contractor will
lbe caught in a Hike predicament again.
Ibis previous friendly attitude to organ
lied labor was, in fact, wholly response
BILE for his being able to get men to finish
4 his contract.
Members Of the Building Trades Coun-
|cil are exercising every precaution to keep
! wholly within the bound Of the law as
laid down in Judge Cray's injunction, and
1t is evident it is neither their desire nor
/ intention wilfully to violate Its provisions.
One or two other buildings were tied up
this week because OF the refusal Of indi-
d yidual workmen to continue work Win
non -unionists.
i, John M. Finley, president Of the Inter
national Union Of Flour and Cereal Mill
Employees, writing of the Injunction of
Judge Cray in the July issue Of the Eight
Hour Miller, interprets the courts decis-
ion thus: IF Judge Cray had said: You
4 are hereby ordered not to organize or
maintain a labor union, for If you do I
will put you in jail, the intent and pur-
pose of his decision would not have been
more clearly apparent" AS to results Mr..
Finley says:
"The members Of the building crafts in
Minneapolis are particularly wen organ
lied They are determined that they will
not work on the same job with non union
i men, and all the judges In the country can
not make them do it. Their union meet
4 ings are secret. Even Judge Cray can
not find out what transpires within their
z meeting room. They there make and
adopt such rules as they see fit and nc
one outside their ranks need ever be wiser
when a 'scab' Shows up on a, job the union
men can get tired and quit. How will
they know when a .scab shows up? Every
man has a nose.
"a non-union man has legal right tc
work That cannot be disputed. A unior
: man has legal right not to work. That
is just as indisputable.
when the great majority Of the work
ers in a particular craft are making 4
united effort to better their condition, the
non union man has no moral right tt
place himself as an obstacle In their path
If he does the union man has a mora
right to refuse to work on the same jot
with him.
'"rhe union workman will continue t
exercise this legal and moral right and
Judge Cray will have an exceedingly bus!
, time If he attempts to prevent him.
THE spirit Of this Judge Cray law will
never be obeyed, the letter OF it may be-
. if it is not found necessary to disobe,
It. That it has not been openly disobeyet
Il 49, ~.~r~~>
calm Judgment Of the leaders Of the Build
ing Trades Council.
'But what of the effect on the masse
! of the working class. Already there Is
deep seated feeling of suspicion. Dispute
! and unrest. They are prone to look upol
the laws, generally. as made. not for thei
benefit but for the protection Of tn
wealthy. The future Of our system Q
, government demands that the Judiciary b
|. respected and loved by the people Thei
, confidence in it's stability, its fairness, it
justice, must be firm, and above all the
must respect its sacred honor. They mus
feel that the court takes no cognizance Q
| wealth or position and that it's scales bal
ance alike for the rich and for the poor.
Does any sane man think that this de
sirable condition exists to-day? If he doe
: |let him go among the masses. Go int
the work shops, the mills, or the factory
4 and ask the first ten men you meet fo
their opinion of the judges If you hay
their confidence, six out Of the ten will te
- you that they believe that judges, as
rule, are dishonest and corrupt. This opin
3 ion is wrong and unjust and every pa
, triotic citizen must lament its existence
But that this feeling exists is true, true
v only too damnably true.
ID AS a general rule our judges are abb
n and scholarly jurists, and constellation
and honorable men, who have often &C
s copied. the responsibilities of the bench g
IL X, ~ 49,, l>Ae :
& feeling exist among the masses? Jude
= Cray, before you hurl another injunctio
d at the wage-e Garner stop and ponder. "
r. believe you are a patriotic citizen, an
that you mean to do your duty as yol
II conscience directs. Every criminal q,
.e which you forbid in your Injunction
j prohibited by the criminal laws of tn
=, state. and for every violation of these Law
\, there is a penalty. If a member of a trad
U union commits a crime arrest him, giy
him trial, and II he is guilty punish hir
le But do not take unto yourself the fun,
~. -G.x. - 49,