Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-08-27

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Certainly, Mr.. Gompers and ahs
American Federation al Iabor hare
the right 10 form . separate political
Tastv. and the right 10 threaten amy
eaaasaate ~ my party with The loss
Mt the votes they rontroi, unless tn
candidate gives satisfactory assssr.
anees ~ 10 any question that may be
~rEopounded. N Mr.. Gompcrs and his
followers heller. the aniIiniuneiioa
hin 10 vital 10 their Interests. they are
right N seeking the defeat of san.
gresxmen who oppose n.
In taking such q radical stand. haw.
ever. and In subordinating sif other
political issues 20 the q they have
chosen. union labor men must expect
other voters. who are no, hound up
With their organization, 10 scan close
ny the arguments. pro and con. relat.
Ing 10 this which they attempt tp
make the paramount Issue Of the cam.
paign. And. also they must know that
there 10 serious disagreement In their
own ranks q IN the wisdom u the
measure np0n which the Issue In
made. The further fact that union
labor. while 4 potent force. IL over.
waslmingiy In the minority. "a Gar Al
s0les are concerned. .honld give
ground for serious apprehension on
the part Of sincere friends ~ the IN.
lon labor principle. $3.50
But. for the first time In the history
of the country. union labor. under the
able leadership Of Mr.. Gompers. m
admirable man, and \ hrainy one. too.
has staked Its potential power In the
nations politics upon a single. defin.
Ito. question. "Do you favor or on.
pose bill Of grievances" asks Mr..
Gotnpers. and then adds. Ia beaalf u
three million union workers: III YOU
oppose any Item. n you use cireumio-
cution. II you qualify your statements.
n you do not say yes 10 every speci.
~ficssion. We will fight You To the Tin.
ish."
This truculent attitude would be
sufficient to arrest attention. coming
from a less important source than
the American Federation Of Labor. n
would be sufficient for the purpose,
however, to inquire only into the mer.
It's Of the u main contention. the
antiinjunction bill. which congress
failed to pass.
Unquestionabiy. the power of In
junction. vested In aIl u courts Of
record. occasionally has been abused.
For that matter. the power Of labor
unions often IL abused. In the nata'
BILE instance of the Northern Pacific
strike. however, when all the EN-
pioyes Of the road were forbidden ia
quit work, and in other similar In
stances OF smaller magnitude. the H.
junction authority III the courts has
been used wrongfuily, Labor has a
real grievance In this respect. But
the instances Of such misuse OF the
Injunction have been few and singu'
lar.
What IL the remedy for this occa'
slonal abuse for an established and
necessary fundamental authority ol
the courts? The bill upon which the
American Federation OF Labor stakes
It's all proposes. practically. to roll
the courts entirely Of authority to Ia
sue writs Of injunction In matter;
where organized labor Is concerned
We quote the following admirable
statement Of the case. from the In
dianapolis News:
1.-THE bill which Gompers favored
would prohibit United States courts
from issuing iniunctions In any case
between employer and employe un
less the Injunction necessary II
prevent irreparabie injury to proper
ty rights. for which there was no ad
eeuatc remedy at law. But then
provided that for the purpose OF THU
act no right to carry on business o
any particular kind or at any particn
lar place, or at all, shall be construe,
hfiu, C~ONSiusFtu Ut IiSasVu os f'opNNs
II. Or az constituting a propert,
right" This IL an .amazing propnsl
tim. IL a mans business Is not
pvpperty right We do not know wha
tits, H his right TO carry H. on 4
nn4 a property right II would D.
hard to define one Mr.. Gompers' bill
Is based on the theory that a mat
may be prevented from carrying oI
business "at ALL" and that the courts
ought not to be allowed to protec
him biz injunction. The American
people will never consent. we believe
to the adoption of such a policy.
Certainly amazing" We believe
manor any body Of men--has thu
right to quit his employment wnen b.
chooses sa,rss under contract, o.
other agreement. not to do 50. An,
we believe the use of the writ Of In
junction has been occasionally abus
ed. We favor q definition OF the cod,
on this point. But what Mr.. Gomperl
Il fighting Tor Il the right to intimi
Il date non-union labor. TO picket plants
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