Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-20
BILL OF GRIEVANCES.
Representative Workingmen
File a Statement.
PAY VISIT TO THE CAPITOL
Present Views to Vice President and
Speaker of House
WILL FAVOR RELIEF MEASURE
Probability of Passage of Employ
ers' Liability Bill to Overcome
Existing Defects
PAY VISIT TO THE CAPITOL
WILL FAVOR RELIEF MEASURE

The conference of representative work
ingmcn which had been in extraordinary
session al TypoSra phcal Temple since last
Wednesday morning was dissolved about
! O'Clock yesterday afternoon following
the visit of a delegation OF the members
{" the Capitol to present bill of griev-
ances TO Speaker Cannon and Vice Presl-
dent Fairbanks Many of the delegates
left for their homes last night and to-
day.
AS a result Of the visit of the represen- |
tatives of organized labor to the Capitol
it was stated today that relief measure
will be presented to Congress next We'd
nesday. 1t was learned from authori- |
tative source that the proposed bill OF
relief for organized labor practically has
been perfected. and it is understood to be |
fair to all interests concerned. 1t is
said TO modify the Sherman antitrust law |
ny exempting labor organizations from
its operations.
Speaker Cannon and Vice President |
Fairbanks yesterday afternoon announced
their belief that the present Congress VIII
pass an employers liability act which |
will meet and overcome the unconStitu- /
tionalities of the present law pointed out
by the Supreme Court of the United |
states in a recent decision
Scope of the Memorial.
These statements We're made unreserv- .
edly by Speaker Cannon and euardedly |
ny the Vice President to a delegation led !
by President Samuel Gompers of the |
American Federation of Labor from |
eiehty-seven national and International
trade and labor unions and organiZa tons
OF farmers assembled in national con- |
ference in this city. The dele cation called |
Oh the Speaker Ia lay before the House |
Of Representatives. through him. me- |
MORA, entitled "Labors Protest to Con- !
eress.' The scope Of this memorial was
set forth in the following opening para |
graphs:
I'VE. the official representatives OF the |
national and international trade and Ia |
boz unions and organizations of farmers. |
in national conference assembled in the |
District of Columbia for the purpose Of
considering and taking action deemed |
necessary to meet the situation in which |
tho working people of the country are |
placed by recent decisions of the courts. !
now appear before Congress to voice the |
earnest and emphatic protest of the work |
ers of the country against the indffer !
ence. if not actual hostility. which Con-
gress has shown toward the reasonable
and righteous measures proposed by the
workers for the safeguarding of their
rights and interests.
Immediate Action for Relief.
in the name of labor we now urge
upon Congress the necessity for imme
date action< for relief from the most
grave and momentous situation which has
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 Sher- |
man antitrust Ia to the workers both |
organized and in their individual ca
pacity.
Labor and the people generally look |.
a>kance at the invas Jon of the court upon
the prerogatves of the lawmaking and
executive departments Of our govern
ment
The workers feel that Congress itself
must share chagrn and sense 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 exercise
ot their normal activities. There is some
thing ominouS in the ironc manner in !
which the courts guarantee to workers
The right to be manned and killed
without liability to the employer;
The right to be discharged for be-
longing to a union:
Labor Is Justlys Indignant"
The right to work as many hours as
employers please and under any condi-
tons which they may impose
Labor is justly indignant at the be-
stowal or guaranteeing of these worth
less and academic rights by the courts.
which in the same breath deny and for
Ola 10 the workers the practical and
necessary protection Of laws which de-
fne and safeguard their rights and lib
critics and the exercise of them ndi-
vidually or in association"
The protest submitted by Mr. Com
pers and his associates. Joseph F. Vaien-
line. eighth vice president Of the .Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor: w. r. Fairly of
The United Mine Workers Union of North
America. c. NJ. Barnett of the American
Society of Equity W. D. Mahon. president
OF the Amalgamated Street and Electric
Railway Employees. and T. j. McArdie of
the Amalgamated Association of Iron and
Steel Workers, refers to the supreme court
decision in the hatters' case as 1.-The most
recent perversion of the intent of law
by the judiciary, by which the Sherman
antitrust law has been made to apply to
labor although it was an accepted fact
that Congress did not intend the law to
apply and might even have specifically
exempted labor but for the fear that the
Supreme Court might construe such an
affirmative provision to be unconsttution-
The workers. the memorial says,
earnestly urge Congress TO cooperate
with them in the upbuilding and educat-
ing OF public sentiment which will con-
fine the judiciary to its proper function.
which is certainly not that of placing a
construction upon law the very oppo-
site OF the plain intent of Congress, thus
rendering wor,hless even the very mod
crate efforts which Congress has far
put forth to define the status of the most
important. numerous and patriotic of our
people. the wage-workers, the producers OF
all wealth
Endangering Individual Liberty.
We contend that equity power and
jurisdiction. discretionary government by
the judiciary for we'll defined purposes
and within specific limitations. granted to
the courts by the Constitution. has been
so extended that il is invading the field
of government by law and endangering
individual liberty.
we favor enactment of laws which !
shall restrict the jurisdiction of courts |
af equity to property and property rights. |
and shall so define property and property |
rights that neither directly or indirectly |
-I,aY there be held to be any property |
ZIG t. in he lah 1r y,