Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-28
DISCUSSES THE INJUNCTION
Recommendations as TO a Change
in Procedure.

Recommendations as to Change
in Procedure.
First, as to the power of injunction
and of punishment for contempt. In
contempt eases, save where irInedi-
ate action is Imperative, the trial
should be before another Judge AS
regards injnnctions, some such lesis-
lation rs that / have previously rec
commended should be enacted. They
are blind who fail to realize the ex-
treme bitterness caused among large
bodies OF worthy citizens by TIC use
that has Teen repeatedly made Of the
power of ip.'unct. oil in labor Disputes.
Those In whose ludgmel we have
most right to trust are of the opinion
that while much of the complaint
against the use of the Injunction is
unwaTranted, yet that 1t is unIues-
tionably true that in number OF
cases this power has been used to the
grave injury of the rights of laboring
men.
! ask that 1t be limited in some such
way as that i have already pointed
out in my previous messages, for the
very reason that / do not wish to see
an embittered effort made TO destroy
IT. 1t is unwise stubbornly to refuse
to provide against a repetition of the
abuses which have caused UNI est. In
a democracy like ours is IDLE II ey-
pect permanently to thwart tile de-
termination, of the great body Of our
citizens -
1t may DO, and often is. the highest
duty of a court, legislature, or an
ex ecuive.. to resist and defy d gust OF
popular passions, and most celtainlr
no public servant, whatever may he
the consequences to himself, should
yield to what he thinks wrong. But
in a question which is emphatical!y
one ofspublic policy the policy which.
the public demands is sure in the end
to be adopted; and persistent refusal
to grant to a large portion of our peo-
pie what is right is only too ap. in III
end to result in causing such irrita-
ton that when the right is obtained it
is obtained in the course of move
ment so i'll considered and violent as
to be accompanied by much that is
wrong.
~, The process of injunction in labor
disputes. as well as where state laws
are involved. should he used sparins-
ly, and only when there Is the clear
est necessity for it: but it is one so
necessary to the efficient performance
of duty by the court or behalf of the
nation that it is in The hi2n degree
to he regretted that it should be. liable
to reckless use;- for this reckless lsso
tends TO make honest men desire se
TO hamper its execution as 10 destroy
its usefulness. Every farsi GIFTED na-
triot should protest first of all against
the growth in this country of that evil
thing which is called 'class conscious
ness.r
The demagogue, the sinister or fool
ish socialist visionary. who strives to
arouse this feeling of class conscious
ness in our working people does foul
and evil thing; for he is no true Amer
lean, he is no selfrespectipg citizen OF
this republic, he forfeits his right to
footing of entire equality with all 9th
er citizens, who bows to envy and
greed, who erects the doctrine IF class
hatred into a shibboleth. who sub
stitutes loyalty to men or a particular
status, whether rich or poor, for loyal
f, ty.-to those eternal anu mmutable
principles of righteousness which bid rs
treat each man on his worth as a man
without regard to his wealth or his
:, poverty. 49,
~ But evil though the influence of
these demagogues and Missionaries is 1.
Is no worse in its consequences than
the influence exercised by the man of
great wealth, or the man of power
and position in the Industrial world
who by his lack of sympathy with and
lack of understanding of-stiil more
by any exhibition of uncompTomisine
hostility to-the millions of our work
&, Ing people, tends TO mite them agaipsl
their fellow-Americans who are bet
ter. off in this worlds goods. 1t is d
bad thing TO teach our working PEG
pie. that men of means. that men who
have the largest proportion Of the sub
stantial comforts OF life, are Eecessar:
~ greedy, grasping, and cold-hear. ed
and that they unjustly demand ant
approDriate more than their share o