The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-11-12

The Judges and Unions.

1854 Lney are, CHere is no power TO CurD
the lawlessness of judges. It is popular
to suppose that whenever judge
speaks this is law: The fact is, that a
Judge has no more right to disregard
the law, and, in fact, less right, than
any other man. His words are not law.
They are only law when his orders and
DEGREES are in accordance with the laws
that really exist, and in accordance
with the spirit of our institutions. The
law as made by Judges is largely
matter of personal opinion, it has
been made by corporation lawyers. It
is very different from what it would
be mad 1t been made by lawyers who
were favorable to the poor. Eery law
yer understands that the law today is
made to protect property; life and lib
erty are little thought of, but the pro-
lection of property is complete. This
is through natural evolution and the
fact that one side has been constantly
aggressive and that the other side has
had nothing whatever to say. Unless
the labor organizations in this country
take up this matter and take it up at
once, they will find that it is necessary
to disband their unions, or rather the
courts will do the disbanding for them.
It is absurd and ridiculous for the lead
ers of trade unionism to go ahead with
the movement of organizing trade UNI
ions and at the same time leave them
utterly powerless in the hands Of cum
ming lawyers and judges whose views
are hostile to their existence"
The decisions of the American courts
incr fh1 1o+; @E Ill ~
capital are based upon the decisions of
the English courts upon the same sub
jects, and in every instance the Amer
lean courts have followed the English
precedents. Peaceful picketing has
been declared unlawful in both coun-
tries. The Taft Vale desicion, which
awarded the heavy damages to an
English railway company as recon-
pense for loss sustained by strike Of
their employees, has been followed by
numerous suits of the same nature on
this side of the water. The antagonism
of the courts Of England to trade I'M
1onism has become so oppressive that
the trade unions have been compelled
to adopt defensive measures or aban-
don their organizations. When the
long and expensive strikes reduced
them to want and inflicted suffering
upon their families but did not secure
them the objects for which they
fought, they sought redress at the bal
lot box, so the English trades unionists
are seeking redress through legislation.
The action recently taken by the
House Of Commons upon a measure in
PRODUCED in the interest of labor at
lords striking and suggestive illus
tration Of the wisdom Of this course.
This bill grants to trade unionists the
| right to place pickets wherever they
please during strikes, provided they
merely present the merits of the dis
pute in peaceful manner to the
I wouldbe strike breakers
The bill further gives to trades I'M
ions the right to do anything an in
dlvidual citizen may lawfully do, that
is, the individual citizen having the
right to- refuse to- pa tronize5 business
firm and to request his fellow citizens
| to do so, the union is granted the Same
privileges and the boycott becomes
legal. The most vital provision of the
bill, however. is that it protects the
funds OF a trade union from attach
| ment for damages resulting from the
unauthorized action of individual mem
bersHof the organization The Eng
| lish government, which like our own,
is in sympathy with the employers, OPP
posed this bill, but it was passed over
their heads by vote of 23s for and
f99 against. The bill now has to 20
before the House of Lords, the English
senate, and will probably be defeated
In that branch of the government.
This is not the end, however, for the
bill will be brought before the Lower
House again and ultimately the Upper
House will be compelled to pass it, and
the traders unionists will get protec-
ton from the law as interpreted by
| corporation judges.
The courts of this country follow the
example of the English courts in their
decisions upon labor matters. and if
we wish to escape from their tyranny
and the injustice of their judges, we
must follow the example of the Eng
fish. and Australian trades unionists
| and seek relief at the ballot box.