The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-30

to all labor, organized and unorganized,
all for which it justly prayed.
Organized labor demanded that con-
gress pass a law forbidding railroads from
making their employees work beyond their
strength. Never was a demand more
righteous. Up to a year ago railroads
compelled their men to work without
rest or sleep for a length of time that
meant exhaustion and death Sometimes
engineers. firemen and brakemen were
forced to work as long as 4S hours WITH
out rest or sleep. Five years of such
slavery meant the ruin of the men VINO
worked; and it also meant danger ana
death to the passengers on their trains
Many of the railroad wrecks where thous-
ands have been MANNED and killed were
caused by this brutal practice springlnS
from the greed of railroad owners. SO
we passed law forbidding this practice
and today such exhaustion dims no en-
gineer's sight, makes nerveless no brake
mans hand, confuses no dispatcher
brain. That law was urged by repub-
lcan president, drawn by republican
tatesman-Senator Lafolette-passed by
a republican congress.
The Record.
Organized labor demanded that every
railroad should be compelled to adopt
safety appliances. This demand was rea-
sonable and right. Why should thousands
of brakemen be crushed to death when
a little money saved from dividends
would prevent it? Why should hundreds
of millions be spent for new grades, heav-
Ter rails. larger cars. more powerful en-
gines and bigger profits, and not a cent
tor the protection of the human be-
ings without whom all these were use
less?. Why should money paid by ship
pers and passengers go to swell charges
on watered securities when little OF
"a oil
danger? So we passed the safety APP
pliance act and today only fraction of
the railroad men are killed or manned
who yesterday were crushed and MUIR
dered and the safety of the travelling
public is increased.
Organized labor asked that a depart
ment Of commerce and labor be estab-
lished. Today that department is one
of the most important in our government
and is doing more for labors welfare
than any other single agency in the ma
ton. 1t is labor's friend in the cab
met; it is labor's advocate before con-
gress; it has urged upon the nations leg
islature sound laws for labor's benefit;
it is most notable advance toward Sc
curing the rights of the toiler. But once
more this law was drawn by a repub-
lican senator, a republican president IN
sisted on 1t, a republican congress
passed it.
Organized labor demanded the eight
hour day for government employes-they
have tia republican congress and presl-
dent gave it to them; an eight-hour day
for the men employed by government
contractors; they have it-a republican
president and congress gave it to them.
They demanded law forbidding railroads
to discriminate against union laboring
men; they have tia republican president
and congress passed it and today no
national railroad dares blacklist any Ia
borer because he is a union man.
I denounce extremists ON both sides of
this great question of human rights.
Every man ought to vote against the men
who say that we should not end the real
evils of Injunction; and against every man
who, instead of ending these evils, would
, create greater evils in their place. On
this question I am non-partisan. l am
opposed to the Bourbons in my own party
who are against ending these evils; and
am against the guerrillas of the opposi-
ton who would destroy this most useful
power of the courts of conscience. For
the courts of equity are the courts OF
conscience; and the writ of injunction is
that most useful power of the courts of
| equity. Blackstone says that equity is
1.-The correction of that wherein law by
| reason of its universally, is deficient"
The injunction prevents the digging OF
| a pit which will cause a neighbours house
| to fall; it restraints railroads from grant
| ing rebates; 1t compels them to furnish
| cars; it enjoins corporations from Violat-
| ing statutes; 1t stops men from burning
property and running business; 1t seizes
| the hands of the 1awless whether CAPT
/ talist or laborer, before it strikes its blow
J which, once struck, works injury that
| never can be remedied. And those who
| would strike down this writ of conscience
! are ignorant of the meaning Of equity jur-
ism al Of n
! experiences of their own purpose; or else
1 are evi-minded demagogues who would
coin votes out of passions.
| And that is just what the oppositions
programme results in. 1t means the prac-
teal overthrow of the power of injunc-
| ton. In the past 20 years many times
! the number of injunctions have been is
sued against corporations and capitalists
| that have been issued against laboring
| men, Show me one injunction against
! labor, and L will show you at least 100
| against capital. Yet If the opposition's
/ plan is applied to injunctions against rail
| roads, corporations, trusts and all other
/ forms of capital, there is an end &c the
power of the courts over lawless wealth;
| an end to the awe of judges ever present
| in the hearts of the pirates of money; an
| end to the fear of all the restraints of
| Justice in all the departments of our com
| mercial and Industrial life. Once let
InOSS rutnleSS OVerlOauS OF BOlu, WnOm
| only the fear Of equity's strong arm re-
! strains, understand that that arm is pal
| sled, and 1awless wealth will run riot.
Gompers Honest, But Wrong.
I do not think that the men who are
| demanding this law fully understand it's
| consequences; l do not believe they real
| ize the Frankenstein they are creating
| No man means better by his fellowman
/, than Mr.. Bryan, but he has not taken
| the time to think his subject out. Mr..
| Gompers is an honest enthusiast devoted
| to the uplift of the toiler; but he has
not explored the path on which he would
set our feet. The statesmen must study
history to it's foundation on every sub
! ject with which he deals; he must weigh
every factor of every problem just as