The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-03-26
LABOR'S PROTEST TO .
CONGRESS PRESENTED
Gompers Lays Grievances BE"
fore Speaker Cannon and
Vice President Fairbanks.
REPLIES ARE OPTIMISTIC
Leaders Are Assured That IN Course
Of Time Congress viii Franc En-
ploysrs' Liability Act That
Will Pass Muster.

Washington. March 2S--Speaker can
non and Vice President Fairbanks an
nounced their belief that the present
congress will pass an employers haoh-
ity act which will meet and overcome
the unconstitutionalities Of the present
law pointed out by the supreme u
Of the United States In Il recent ue-
cision.
These statements were made unre-
seryedly by Speaker Cannon and guard
edly by the vice president to q dele
cation led by Samuel Gompers, presl-
dent of the American Federation OF
Labor, from 81 national and interna-
tional trade and labor o~rgarAzations
and farmers organizations
In a national conference in this city.
The delegation called on the speaker
TO Law before the House Of representa-
tives through him a memorial entitled
"Labor's Protest to Congress"
RIGHTS SGT Forth.
| The scope Of the memorial was Get
forth in the following opening para
graphs:
we. the official representatives of
the national and international trade
and labor unions and organizations or
farmers. in national conference assem-
bled, in the District of Columbia, for
the Of the consideration II
taking action deemed necessary to meet
the situation in which the working peo-
pie Of our country are placed by re-
cent decisions of the courts, now appear
before congress to voice the earnest
3 and emphatic protest OF the workers
Of the country against the Indifference,
II not actual hostility, which congress
has shown toward the reasonable and
righteous measures proposed by the
workers for the safeguarding OF their
, rights and interests.
GT1 fhn naT1an nf Ia hny' yR now urge
! upon congress the necessity for imrne-
date action for relief from the most
grave and momentous situation which
q ever confronted the working people
Of this country. This crisis has been
brought about by the application by
the supreme court of the United States
Of the Sherman antitrust law to the
workers, both organized n In their in
dividual capacity.
Labor and the people generally look
askance at the invasion of the court
upon the prerogatives OF the laW1nak-
ing and departments or our
government.
1.-THE workers feel that congress itself
must share our chagrin and Of
injustice when the courts exhibit an
utter disregard for the real intent and
purpose Of laws enacted to safeguard
and protect the workers in the exer-
else OF their normal activities. There
Is something ominous in the ironic man
ner In which the courts guarantee to
workers
THE right to be MANNED ana killed
without liability to the employers.
1.-THE right to be discharged for be-
longing to a union.
1.-THE right to work az many hours as
employers please and d any con
ditions which they may impose.
Labor indignant.
Labor II Justly indignant at the be-
stOwal or guaranteeing Of these worth
less and academic rights by the courts
which with the same breath deny and
forbid to the workers the practical and
necessary protection Of laws which de-
fine and safeguard their rights and lib
critics, and the exercise OF them indi-
vidually or in association.
THE supreme our decision IN the
hatters' case Is the most recent perver-
sion Of the intention OF the law by the
judiciary, by which the Sherman anti
trust law has been made to apply to
labor. though II vas an accepted fact
that congress did not intend the law to
80 apply and might even have specific
ally exempted labor, but for the fear
that the supreme cou might construe
such an affirmative provision to be un-
constitutional.
THE workers earnestly urge congress
70 cooperate with them In the upbuild-
ing and educating OF a public sentiment
which will confine the judiciary to its
proper functions, which Is certainly not
that Of placing a construction upon a
law the very opposite OF the plain in
tent OF congress. thus rendering worth
less even the very moderate effort
which congress has so far put forth
to define the status Of the most inn
portant. numerous and patriotic OF our
people-the wage workers, the pro-
ducers Of all wealth.
we contend hat equity. power and
jurisdiction, discretionary government
poses and within specific limitations
granted to the courts by the constitu-
ton has been 30 extended that It is
invading the field Of government by
law and endangering individual lib
erty.
I'VE favor enactment OF laws which
shall restrict the Jurisdiction of courts
Of equity to property and property
rights and shat SO define property and
property rights that neither directly or
INDIRECTLY shall there be held to be
property or property rights In the labor
or power ~ any person or persons.
Apathy Of Congress.
THE feeling Of restless apprehension
with which the workers view the
apathy OF congress Is accumulated by
the recent decision Of the supreme
court.
by the wrongful application Of the
Injunction by the lower courts we have
been forbidden the right OF free press
and free speech, and the supreme court
In the hatters' case, while not directly
prohibiting the exercises OF these RIGHTS
yet so applies TIE Sherman law to labor
that acts involving the use % free
press and free speech inc hitherto as
sumed 70 be lawful now becomes evil
dence upon which triple DAMAGES may
be collected n fine and Imprisonment
added as a part OF the penalty"
The memorial submits TO congress for
consideration two nmendatory pCoViS-
ions. in substance as follows: