The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-31
A Mt INJUNCTION
Bill That Is Causing Talk in
the Senate.
ITS "GOMPERS-M MITCHELL"
Its Provisions and Their Far
Reaching Effect.

Washington, Jan 30.-The house COM
mittee on the judiciary has set apart
February "a, . and 20 for hearings on the
Anti-Injunction BILL which was introduce
ed by Gen. Grosvenor, but is commonly
referred to as the "Gompers- Mitchell
bill The committee announces that it
will hear opponents first. Few measures
are attracting more attention. Hundreds
of kilograms have been forwarded here
asking for information as TO the date of
these hearings. The business interests OF
the country are naturally aroused over
the prospect of this measure becoming
law, and they are preparing TO resist it
vigorously.
While their activities should not be les
sened on this account, it may be stated
that the passage of this bill at the pend
ing session is extremely unlikely. The
fact that the committee selected these
dates for the hearing some weeks ago,
putting off for six weeks this first stage
of progress, reduces greatly the likelihood
of passage, since the measures which do
not get over to the senate quite early in
q
be, are always handicapped for want OF
time. 1t is by no means certain that
such bill could pass the house The
labor unionists, by getting Mr. Grosvenor
to introduce it, probably reasoned that
they could get his support and that of the
two Democrats on the committee on rules
which determines the order of procedure
in favor of taking the measure up. How
ever, this may be, there are several stages
to be passed through before the question
is decided, the chief of which is the re-
port of the committee.
1t is certain that Speaker Cannon does
not want any such legislation as this
passed, and there is a substantial bust
ness element of the senate which would
protect the country against it At the
same time the measure is trouble max
ing, especially in a campaign year, and
the friends of law and order should
give their emphatic support at this time
TO those who are resisting its passage.
The object of the bill is to prevent re-
straint of picketing and boycotting by
several persons in concert, and so save
them from punishment as consirators. if
the act complained of would not be Grim
inal when performed by a single person.
It will be recalled that the industrial
commissioners discussed this matter in
their final report They said that boy
colt or combination 20 injure or control
the liberty of an individual is always il
legal, sometimes criminal. This is sub
stantially the modern American common
law. Nothing should be a conspiracy in
a trade dispute except where the acts
actually committed or the object of the
combination would be an act criminal
under the common law"
1t seems to be generally considered, and
several judges have held, that workmen
always have a right to strike unless they
have agreed not to. and some judges have
gone further, and held that after strike
they have a right to stand at the APP
proaches of the works they have left, and
endeavor peaceably TO persuade persons
who approach not TO go and take the
places they have left. But experience
proves that if they do stand in considera-
bic numbers they actually intimidate
those who seek to enter the works, and
their acts are often accompanied by VIC
lSliCe, lAOuSu IL IL Hdio 10 PAONC Wat ttiS
offense against a particular person. The
spirit and object of law obviously ought
not to be triiled with.
Col. Albert Clarke, who has given study
to this question says: The purpose of
the pending bill is 70 protect workmen III
doing acts that are not promotiYe of
peace and industry, and the inevitable ef-
feet Of it would be TO encourage the gath
ering of excited and angry men. and to
discourage capital from employing labor.
have always favored the most liberal
labor legislation that is consistent with
personal liberty, the public peace. and the
successful conduct of business. but 1 cam
not think that the legislation proposed is
based upon either right or expediency
(and ! am sure it is in the wrong direc-
ton. The check that came to industry
last summer and caused the loss of mill
ions in wage. dividends, and the abnormal
decline in the market values of Industrial
securities was almost wholly caused by
labor difficulties. Prosperity began TO
revive as soon as those difficulties began
to subside If work could have gone
forward while some tribunal was hearing
and settling the dispute in a rational way.
how much better it would have been for
everybody. Therefore. let US have an
end of legislation which tends to indus
trial war and try something that viii
make for peace