Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-07-22
Judge Mcpherson Deals the
System of Picketing a
Body Blow
AUTHORITIES CALLED DOWN
Thor Failure to Suppress the unIaw-
full Work Of Strikers in Preventing
Men Who Wished to Work From Do
ina So Declared to be Criminal =
Right Of Protection.

Keo1suk, July, %. - In a decision
Just handed down by Judge Smith NC
Pherson of the federal court IN 'he
contempt proceedings begun by the
Santa Fe road against striking ma
chinists, the men are FOUND Builty.
Judgment will be pronounced later.
Judge McPherson's opinion Is one OF
the clearest and strongest pronounce
ments against picketing In strikes ever
delivered from the bench. He scores
for their insincerlty authorities who
permit lawbreaking In strikes to In
crease through the half-hearted way
in which they attempt to preserve the
peace. Judge Mcpherson says that the
authorities failed to act because their
eyes were on future election days and
political preferment. After stating
that the railroad company had the abb
solute right to employ either union or
non-u union men, and to have Its en-
ployes protected, the Judge thus scores
the authorities:
And yet, plain as Is all this fore
going, II 1t had been recognized, this
case would not have been brought. Not
only so, but there would not have been
the slightest OCCASION FOR bringing this
case had there been any sincerity and
honesty of purpose among the local
authorities in maintaining peace and
order. intimidation. force, violence
and brutality were all wlnked at be-
cause Of the belief on the part Of GER
tain peace officers that they would be
kindly remembered on future election
days instead OF remembering that the
great majority of the people OF the
city are law-abiding and would re-
ward those who would maintain peace
and preserve order. to say nothing of
the peace Of mind arising from duty
performed"
Word 40 to Pockets.
OF the matter OF picketing Judge
Mcpherson says:
"a system of pickets for more than
q year has beer kept up by all the ac-
cused and others. This picketing is
done by details Of pickets assigned by
others. At all hours when men are
going to and from work, morning. noon
and evening, the worlemen must go
through and by pickets. sometimes
two, four, six and more at place. At
times the paths and walks are OBJ
structed. At times the packets are
near by. making grimaces. at times
acting as If violence were intended,
and at other times uttering profanity
and vulgarity.
There Is ard can be no such thing
as peaceful picketing any more than
there can be chaste vulgarity or peace
ful mobbing or lawful lynching. When
men wish to converse or persuade they
do not organizeia picket line. When
they only wish to see who are at work
they go ard see, and then leave, and
disturb no one physically or mentally.
But such picketing as is displayed In
the case at bar by the evidence does,
and Is intended to annoy and intimi-
date. The argument seemed to be
that anything short OF physical vio-
lence is lawful. One man can be intim-
idated only when knocked down. But
the peaceful. law abiding man can be
and is intimtdated by gesticulations, by
menaces, by being called harsh names,
and by being followed or compelled to
pass by men known to be unfriendly.
Must Protect the FraiI.
Perhaps such man may not be a
bully, but is frail in size and strength.