The Mena weekly star., 1908-02-06

nection With Abuse of lnjunctlons l in Labor cases--Wouid Prevent
 Gambling In Futures.
 Washington. Feb. 1.-The special
 message of the president to congress
 on the subject of the employers liabil- ity act and injunctions in labor cases
 was presented in the senate a few
 minutes after o'clock Friday. The
 following are extracts from the docu-
 ment which contained 27 printed pages:
 The recent decision of the supreme court in regard to the employers
 liability act. the experience of the
 interstate commerce commission and
 of the department of justice in entprc- l ing the interstate commerce and anti
 trust laws, and the gravely significant
 attitude toward the law and its admin
 istration recently adopted by certain
 heads of great corporations, renders I 1t desirable that there should be ad- ditional legislation as regards certain of the relations between labor and
 capital, and between the great corpora
 tions and the public.
 The supreme court has decided the | employers liability law to be unconsti- | tutional because it's terms apply to l employees engaged wholly in intrastate
 commerce as well as to employees en- gagged in interstate commerce. By substantial majority the court holds hat 10 hou fu
 with the question in SO far as inter
 state commerce is concerned. As regards the employers liability law. I advocate It's immediate re-enact-
 ment. limiting it's scope so that 1t | shall apply only to the class of cases
 as to which the court says 1t can con-
 additionally apply. but strengthening
 its provisions within this scope also very urgently advise that . comprehensive act be passed provid- ing for compensation by the govern
 ment to all employees injured in the government service.
 | I again call your attention to the
 need of some action in connection with the abuse of injunctions in labor cases. As regards the rights and wrongs of labor and capital. from
 blacklisting to boycotting, the whole subject is covered in admirable fash ion by the report of the anthracite
 coal strike commission, which report
 should serve as chart for the guid-
 ance of both legislative and executive officers. As regards injunctions. can do little but repeat what have said in my last message to the con gress. Even though it were possible. I should consider 1t most unwise to abolish the use of the process of in- Junction. It is necessary fin order that the courts may maintain their own dignity and in order that they may in effective manner check disorder and violence The judge who uses it eau tiously and conservatively, but who. when the need arises. uses 1t fearless ly, confers the greatest service upon our people and his preeminent use fitness as public servant should be heartily recognized. But there is no question in my mind that 1t has some times been used heedlessly and un- justly, and that some of the injunc- tions issued infiict grave and oc- casionally irreparable wrong upon those enjoined
 do not know whether 1t is possible but If possible. 1t is certainly desirable that in connection with measures to restrain stock watering and over capitalization there should be meas ures taken to prevent at least the grosser forms of gambling in securi- ties and commodities. such as making large sales of what men do not pos sess and 'cornering' the market. Le- gitimate purchases of commodities and of stocks and securities for in yestment have no connection what ever with purchases of stocks or other securities or commodities on a margin for speculative and gambling pur- poses.
 It is especially necessary to secure the representatives of the national government full power to deal with the great corporations engaged in in- terstate commerce. and above all, with the great interstate common carriers. Our people should clearly recognize that while there are difficulties in any course of conduct to be followed in dealing with these great corporations. 1 these difficulties must be faced, and one of three courses followed. The first course is to abandon all sffort to oversee and control their ac- | tiens in the interest of the general | public and to permit return to the utter lack of control which would 0b- tain If they were left to the common l law. I do not for one moment be- lieve that our people would tolerate | this position.
 | The second and third courses are to
 have the regulation undertaken either | by the nation or by the states.
 l After telling of the efforts of the | opponents of the policies of the ad- ministration to block the work laid out. the president concludes:
 | In the work we of this generation 1 are in, there is, thanks be to the Al
 mighty. no danger of bloodshed and no use for the sword: but there is
 grave need of those stern qualities shown alike by the men of the north | and thA men 0f the south in the dark