Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-05-26
THE LABOR PROBLEM
Congressman Haskins's Paper
Before the Professional Club

Objections to Methods TO Enforce De-
mands on Employers-Rev. Mr. Mas
seek Led Discussion.
Congressman Kittredge Haskins gave
an intensely interesting paper before the
Brattleboro Professional club in the
Brooks House Wednesday evening, on the
subject "The Labor Problem" The at
tendance was unusually large, including
members of the United States District
court party. The paper was preceded by
a banquet.
Col Haskins said he believed in labor
organizations as tending to elevate the
condition of workingmen, but objected to
the methods resorted to by them to en-
force demands on employers. He con-
tended that the principles of the Declare
ton of Independence, which declare all
men free and equal. with certain inalien-
able rights had been written into the
constitution of the United States and of
every state, that labor was property and
that II constituted so much of a mans
capital stock, whether great or small de-
pending on the mans disposition to
labor and earn, and that under the pro-
visions of the constitution he could not
be deprived of that property and right.
He cited several decisions of the supreme
court of the United States in support Of
the constitution. showing that not even
legislative authority of a state or a ma
ton could enact a law which contravened
those rights.
The speaker then referred to various
labor strikes, including the anthracite
coal strike in 1902, and gave statistics
showing the amount of property destroy
ed by the lawless and violent acts of the
union men and the number of lives lost
growing out of labor strikes These
amounted in the last few years to 1888
killed, of which 156 were non-union men,
and II were officers Of the law. over
1900 were wounded in riots growing out
of labor strikes
He spoke of the regulations of the
American Federation of Musicians, which
forbids any member from participating
in a parade In which a United States
army band is employed, referring to the
| case of Leitsinger's First Regiment band
of Brattleboro. which played in the
knights Templar parade i'm Boston We'd
nesday. and Of the necessity of supplying
men from outside to take the places of
| the union members Of Leitsinger's band.
| He referred to bin which was before the
| 57th Congress. in the interest of labor
unions and the Federation of Musicians,
constituting II a penal offense for any
| enlisted man to let his services for hire
or emolument The measure was aimed
/ at army bands and especially at the
| marine band stationed at Washington
| He also referred to two anti-iniunction
| bills pending in the last Congress. one
| known as the Gompers- Mitchell bill, which
| practically took away the power OF the
i federal judges to grant restraining orders
| I'm labor disputes, also the Garfield Jen-
| kins bill. which took from the federal
judges the right to grant injunctions OF
| restraining orders. in labor disputes. eX-
| cept on notice and hearing. The speaker
| claimed that this would be special legis-
| lation, the effect of which would be tc
| permit labor unions on strike, financially
| irresponsible. to destroy a vast amount
| of property before a restraining order
could be issued
| Congressman Haskins quoted at length
| from the report of the anthracite Goa
strike commission. written by Judge Gray
of Delaware, and argued that the labor
unions ought to be governed by the sug-
gestions it contained, that II they did sc
it would put an end to lawless destruc-
| ton of property and bloodshed, and that
unless labor unions would be governed
in the future by the advice and recon-
| mendations of the commission. as en-
bodied in its report to the President. the
| legislative authority of every state and
| of the nation should take measures tC
prevent violence, murder and the destruc-
tion of property.
Rev. F. l.. Masseck led the discussion
| While he did not condone the lawless
acts of strikers he insisted that great
| wrongs had been committed against the
laborng men by employers and corporate
| greed, which in a sense was a palliatior
of what laboring men did. He held thai
1t was only through organization thai
lnboring men could secure their rights