The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-05-25
GORD0N'S REPLIES
TO QUERIES.
Continued from first page.

mere are ihaut ptAHt~ ~ LIE 1ati
Injunction bill to be considered, but
will take the opportunity TO consider
only one more The bill seeks to weak
en- the criminal law, both statutory
and common, relating 10 conspiracy, sas
J understand IL By providing that no
agreement combination OF contract BY
on between two 81 more persons to do, 81
procure to be done or not 70 do, Or pro
cure not 10 be done, any act in eontem-
|plafion or III furtheraDce OF any trade
dispute between employers and EN-
pIoyees, etc. shall be deemed criminal,
nor shall those engaged therein be in
dictable On otherwise punishable Tor the
crime Df conspiracy, ii such net commits
ted by one person would not be punish
able as d crime, nor shall such agree
ment, combination OF contract be CON
sidered as in restraint Of trade or COM
merce." ii this should become d law
and trade dispute should arise. see
no reason why The employers and EN-
.ployees, ii they should happen 10 get
together. by some agreement, combna
tion or contract. might not create mon
Fopoiies that would be as intolerable as
those that did so much 70 turn one gem
GRAFTON Of Frenchmen into sayaaes IT
is not remote possibility that the coal
miners and owners might thus gel to-
.getheg under the broad terms Of The eX
emptioD. What remedy would the peo-
pie have il this Anti Injunction bill be
passed Could not the employers and
0f some of Our great trunk
lines Ut transportation have trade dis
ptite and in contemplation thereof make
an agreement, combination or contract"
that would be disastrous to large sec
Ition If the country Nor shall such
agreement, combination 81 contract be
considered M in restraint of trade or
commerce" il the broad language used
This Language il not qualified by the
clause iii such act committed by one
person would not be punishable as a
crime Do you believe that any citi.
zen whether laborer Or not, needs snchl
ian exemption 10 promote His wcIfares
III he does, ii seems TO me that he needs
detrimental TO others, whose welfare
lis entitled to consideration from the
state. In our complex social relations
one mans rights stop where another's
begin The compulsipn Nc one Ii the
protection Of the other. To mark the
line BY statute between compulsion
on the one side and protection on the
other is most difficult task. Social
rights are not physical surfaces that can
be easily measured and marked. Some
thing must he yielded BY each % that
Iall may be equally protected The law.
az drafted, fear, would not protect all
equally and WOULD give too free a scope
to the vicious elements that seek the
mastery in troubulous times.
For centuries the law has considered
that d combination OF individuals might
do acts that Il would prohibit, although
one individual might do similar act
without falling under its prohibition.
One farmer in Vermont might refuse TO
sell any OF his produce to the rest of
the people IN the state, because they
would not enter into some special agree.
ment with him. But s.pposing that all
the farmers for a similar reason should
refuse to sell any of their produce TO the
other residents OF the state and should
go farther than that aud use threats,
prrsuasons and intjmithtions to pre-
vent the importation into the state 81
any produce for the daily needs and nee
essities of the people, and should inn
pose penalties upon every farmer who
might break any of the rules of the
supposed farmers league, would You
say that the law, either criminal or civil.
should afford no remedyf The supposed
case may be All extreme one. but with
the facilities Of The organizations of to-
day in certain lines, IL is possible, by
some "agreennt, combination or con-
tract" if,executed. TO do irreparahIe in.
jury 70 as large body III people ii there
is no legal redress. Might il not he
come necessary in many instances 10 re-
sort TO the martial law rather than to
the ciyill And | believe that neither
you nor | ought TO sanction the tier.
position Of martial law so long as emer-
gencies can be dealt with by the civil
law. Tho question may sealn to soma
to be a simple one, but believe It's
simplicity IS apparent rather than real
You can easily measure the circinnfer.
enee Of a tree at the surface, but it IS
more difficult 70 trace the ramifications
OF the roots
As have already said there are many
phases that deserve consideration. but
have only pointed out a few OF the
reasons why could not, as I now under
stand it. vote for the so called Anti-In.
junction bill in its present form agree
with you That there ought to be modin-
cations of the present laws, hut these
should be carefully considered. Without
passing this bill in it, entirety I firmly
believe Chat the present law could be
modified 80 as to make IL satisfactory
and Just % all II elected, | should cert
tainly endcavnr 70 remove some Of the
grounds for the complaints that have
been made against existing laws.
Q. 2. IF elected. will YOU actively
assist in passing legislation for an eight
hour day in government contract work,
the terms Of the measure to be those we
have been and are asking for in Con
gress?"
Yes. would be IN favor Of the eight
hour day IN government contract work,
provided the government did not have
10 pay more for It's work than Others
pay Tor similar services The eight hour
day has become 50 general (and, as I
believe, will become universally. that
there is 4 large amount Of work at the
present time that should be performed
under the eight hour day; but | do not
think that the government should pay
more than others, for this would newt
ably lead 70 ma effort in many instances
to have the government undertake cons
tracts for which there would be little
excuse. II people understand that the
government must give bigger pay for
less work than others, ii would lead TO
a species Of statutory graft. We should
always remember that the government
contracts IRE paid for BY taxation, and,
u Che government paid more than