The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-06-02
such calamities, have not been adopt


ed.
Sixth. They complain that they
have, vainly sought the passage of a
law prescribing that barges towed at
sea shall be properly manned and
equipped so as to avoid the loss of life
now frequently involved in cutting
them loose during storms and leaving
the crews to perish.
Seventh. They complain that the
"anti trust and Interstate commerce
laws enacted to protect the people
against monopoly in the products of
labor, and against discrimination in
the transportation thereof, have been
perverted, so far as the laborers are
concerned, so as to invade and violate
their personal liberty as guaranteed
by the constitution" and that their
repeated efforts to obtain redress from
Congress have been in vain.
Eighth. They complain of the
abuse of the "beneficent writ of in.
junction" in labor disputes, claiming
that it has been perverted from the
protection Of property rights to the de-
struction Of personal freedom, and
! that there is a threat of statutory au-
| thority for existing judicial usurpa-
tion."
NINTH They complain that the
| committees of this House having juris-
| diction of matters particularly of in
terest to labor have been constituted
inimically to it, and that requests to
| the Speaker to remedy this condition
as apparent in the last two congresses
have been followed in the present con.
! hVya t,vn ~ In
condition.
tenth. They complain that the
constitutional right of petition has
been invaded by the executive order
recently issued 'forbidding any and
all government employees, upon pain
of instant dismissal from all govern
ment service, to petition congress for
any redress of grievances or for any
improvement in their condition. -.
| Mr.. Towne: 1t is not necessary
that man should subscribe in detail
to- all the allegations of this petition
in order to be in general accord with
! it's spirit. No candid observer of re-
cent history can fail to know that the
political party now in power in this
country is as an organization, the
agent of the dominant economic
forces of the age; fate, let me say
which is not at all unprecedented or
unusual. Such a state of affairs &C.
ours to greater or less extent, no
matter which party is in power. The
economic forces of the age will i'm
press themselves upon the tendencies
of legislation, through the control of
! the dominant party, from time to
time, in all self-governing commun1.
ties; which fact only emphasizes,
however, the necessity of changing
parties from time to time in order to
give contrary tendencies chance to
express themselves in the corrective
legislation that may thus result
William Alden Smith. A change of
bosses. =.
Mr.. Towne: Yes; if bosses be nee.
essary. Heaven knows they should
be changed. And, Mr.. Chairman, it
is also true that those economic forces
tend to capitalistic combination and
consolidation; that, if unrestrained
and unregulated, they threaten the
stability of the social order. and that
the workingmen of the country may
justly feel an especial interest in
curbing the rapacity of these organ
lied appetites which exist, either by
the warrant or by the permission. OF
the laws. In this enterprise these pc
t1t1ons become allies of all members
OF society not Immediately associated
in schemes of spoilation and plumber,
When thus engaged they cease to be
a faction, but become the representa-.
t1ves of the general welfare. Instead
OF meriting the appellation of agita.
tors and disturbers, they range them.
selves among the conservative ele.
ments OF our institutions in further
ance OF what has become the great
patriotic political duty of the hour:
the restoration in the republic of the
ancient standards of Justice and
equality under the law, the mingled
safety and progress that constitute the
goal and the sanction of democratical
| government.