Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-22


property right. It specifically provides that
no right . . . to carry on business OF
any particular kind or at any particular
place, or all, shall be construed, held, con-
sidertd or treated as property or as con-
%stltuting a property right
Second, II provides that nothing agreed
upon nor done by two or more parties In
connection with labor disputes shall con-
stitutc a conspiracy or other criminal Of
tense or be prosecuted as such unless the
thing agreed upon would be unlawful II
done by e~jsIngle individual.
Biz Now Before Congress.
The bin here described is not only the
remedy that Mr.. Gompers has already
submitted to congress- but 1t is the one
and only remedy which he and those
associated with him in his present move
ment have announced that they will accept
in the matter of his grievance against the
courts on the injunction issue.
''Th counsel Of the American Federation
of Labor and Mr.. Gompers, its president,
are on record to this effect.
AT a hearing before the house commit
tee on judiciary the counsel for the Ameri-
can Federation OF Laber on February s.,
1908. as appears from the printed hearings,
stated:
The bill was considered by at least two
sessions Of the executive council of that
organization and unanimously approved. 1t
was considered by two OF its national con-
ventlons-the two latest-and by these
unanimously endorsed, and in the face OF
many propositions to amend Il, in the face
Of many proposed substitutes, in the face
Of the pressure from every direction, from
high sources and sources not so exalted,
the organization has stood by and is to-
day standing by this bill without amend
ment'
Ders OH Record.
Mr.. Gompers himself in discussing this
bill before the same committee on February
IS, 1909, as appears from the printed hear
ings, vert on record as saying:
Events have demonstrated clearly to
my mind that there Is only one bill before
the committee that can at all be effective
to deal with this abuse, with this invasion
OF human rights, and that is the Pearro
bill
Further on In the same page of the
hearings Mr.. Gompers states:
81 will say this, that 1 think l will try
to make my position clear that the Ameri-
can Federation OF Labor has so declared
itself that II must insist upon the princi-
PICS luNulNtu III llle HGdTIO nll ana lndL L
explained as best / could the position OF
labor7that we would rather be compelled
to bear the wrongs which we have for a
longer period than to give our assent tc
the establishment Of a wrong principle
9eu'rtns and knowing that time would give
The justice ana Keller to which labor--tht
working people-are entitled
This bill, then, and none other, repre-,
sents exactly the relief that Mr.. Gomper:
demands in the way Of anti-lnJunction leg.
~islation; and II the statement in his letter
is correct, this bill represents what MI
Bryan and his party are pledged to I'm the
matter Of a"nti-injunction legislation.
Nothing Vague About Bill.
THE injunction plan in the Bryant,
platform may sound vague and hazy; bu
there is nothing vague or hazy about thi!
bill, 1t is more than a bill, it is a pro
gram of the most fixed and definite kind
and II Mr.. Gompers Is correct, this bill be
comes, as IT were, an used appendix 4
Mr.. Bryan'e platform, or a ]footnote ex
planning in detail the briefer and vague
Injunction plank in the platform.
Does Mr.. Bryan accept 1t as such? Mr.
Bryan should state publicly whether h
In fact accepts the principle OF this bill
which is the official program OF Mr.. Com
pers and those who stand with him.
Mr.. Gompers announces that Mr.. Bry
ans party has made this program its own
Is Mr.. Gompers correct in this statement
Either Mr.. Gompers is mistaken as t
what Mr.. Bryan's party has promised hir
in this matter of injunction legislation, o
those who drafted his party's platform, I
their haste, failed to make the promise $
clear that the general public would un
d~erstand 1t precisely as Mr., Gompers ur
derstands II.
Mr.. Bryan failed in his letter Of accept
ance to discuss this labor plank Of hi
party's platform. So far as l am awar
he has failed to discuss It since.
There should be such discussion as
matter OF common fairness, not only I
labor, but to all citizens alike. on a que,
ton OF such grave consequence the poop.
are entitled TO know where Mr.. Brya
stands.
TAFT Speaks, Bryan silent.
Mr.. Taft has repeatedly explained e,
actly where he stands in this matter
regulating iniunctlons. Are we not er
t!tled to know with equal clearness exact
where MT, Bryan stands?
Mr.. Gompers' public statement as to VIII