The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1906-03-30

gathering at the White HOuSe-impOrt-
ant to the workingmen of this coun-
try. Every worlcngman who has the
interests Of labor at heart should read
what President Roosevelt had to say
to the representatives of organized
labor who called upon him.
The Wageworler does not purpose
analyzing the presidents remarks, nor
does IL purpose commenting on them
at any great length. His assertion
that workingmen concerned merely as
citizens favored the anti-injunction bill
now proposed is, in The Wagework-
er's opinion, a gratuitous insult. 1t is
because they are citizens seeking for
their just rights that workingmen op-
pose the bill now proposed and mis-
called an anti-injunction bin. And to
be told in effect that il they were
really good citizens they would not
oppose 1t comes with poor grace from
Theodore Roosevelt.
The president declared that IF I
thought a combination of laborers
were doing wrong l would apply for
an injunction against them just as
quickly as against so many capital
lists" That sounds very nice, to be
snre. But the trouble is that an in
junction against labor is not like an
injunction against combination of
capitalists. Under an Injunction
aalinst labor the workingman is
thrown into court II he violates it.
The beef packers were enjoined, as
everybody will remember, and they
paid no more attention to the injunc-
ton than If it had been writ in water.
The union man Is thrown into Jail, but
the beef packers are discharged as
individuals and only the corporation
that soulless, bodiless entity-is held
amenable to the law. We very greatly
fear that President Roosevelt took ad-
vantage of the occasion to make play
10 the galleries. At any rate, thought
ful men will give more weight to his
utterances after he has given an ex-
ample of an injunction against cor
poration that amounts to something
like an injunction against labor.
President Roosevelt's pledge that he
would see to the enforcement of the
eight hour law II specific proof of its
violation we're submitted is all right
There is law against giving rebates
by railroads, and 1t was proved beyond
all doubt that Paul Morton, as vice.
~ hn 70
granted rebates. Yet Mr.. Morton
after admitting that he violated the
law, was appointed secretary of the
navy, given a certificate OF good char
acter when he retired, and the stand
taken that only the corporation was
guilty. And you can't imprison a cor
poration. II it should be. shown that
some employer was guilty Of violating
the eight-hour law it might be possible
that he would be given cabinet po
sition. The Paul Morton case seems
to present a precedent
Referring to the protest against alb
rogating the eight-hour law in the
Panama canal zone, President Roose
welt said:
You speak Of the eight-hour law
Your criticism, SO far as it relates tt
the executive, bears upon the sigma
ture OF the appropriation bill contain
ing the money for expenditure on thu
Panama canal. with the proviso tina
the cight-hour law shall not there ap
ply. II your statement Is intended u
mean that no opportunity was givel
for a hearing before, then the state
ment Is not in accordance with tn
facts. There was ample opportunit.
that anyone could, but not singh
request for such a hearing came L
me. ] received, however, some hun
dreds OF kilograms and letters request
ing the veto OF the entire appropria
ton bill because 1t contained that pre-
vico. Frankly, found it difficult t
believe that you were writing and tele
graphing with any kind OF knowledg
OF the conditions in the case / be
leve emphatically in the eight-hou
law for our own people in our ow
country. But the conditions of labor
such as we have to work with in tn
tropics, are so absolutely different tina
there Is no possible analogy betwee
them; and an eight-hour law for tn
Panama canal Is an absurdity. Ever!
one OF you knows that we can not &c
white labor, can not get labor Of tn
United States to go down to Panam
TO work.
Hard to Get Any Labor.
I'VE are driven to extremities
the effort to get any kind of labor g
all. Just at the moment we are worl
ing chiefly with negro labor from tn
West Indies. The usual result in tn
employment OF those men is that MOI
day and Tuesday they work fairly vel
Wednesday and Thursday there is
marked falling. and by Friday and Sa
urday not more than a half, sometime
less than a fourth OF the laborers wi
he at work. The conditions that max
the eight-hour law proper here hav
no possible reference ton Md