The state herald., 1908-03-27
EMPLOYERS
LIABILITY Law
CANNON AND FAIRBANKS TELL
LABOR LEADERS 1T WILL
PASS.
PROTEST TO CONGRESS
GoMPERS LEADS REPRESENTA-
TIvEs OF EiGHTY.sEvEN DlF-
FERENT ORGANIZATIONS.

Washington.-Spea Cannon and
Vice President Fairbanks Thursday an.
nounced their belief that the present
Congress will pass an employers liA-
bility act which will meet and over
come the unconstitutionality of tho
present law pointed out by the Sk
prem Court of the United States in a
recent decision.
These statements were made unro-
servedly by Speaker Cannon and
guardcdly by the vice president. TO
delegation lad by Samuel GompeTs,
president of the American Federation
of Labor from eighty.soven national
and international trade and labor or
ganizatio.'s q and farmers organizations
assembled In national conference In
this city
The delegation requested the speak.
er to lay before the House OF Repre-
sentatiyes, through him, n memorial
entitled "LabOr's Protest to Congress"
The scope OF his memorial was set
forth in the following opening para
graphs:
We, the official representatives OF
the national and international trade
and labor unions and organizations OF
farmers, appear before Congress to
voice the earnest and emphatic protest
of the workers of the country against
/ the Indifference. II not actual hos
/ tiiity which Congress has shown to-
/ ward the reasonable and righteous
measures proposed by the workers for
| the safeguarding Of their rights and
] interests
"In the name Of labor we now urgo
upon Congress the necessity for immo
diate action for relief from the most
grave and momentOus situation which
has ev r 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 and in
their individual capacity
Labor and the people generally
look asltance at the invasion Of tho
court upon the prerOgatlyes of the law.
making and executive departments OF
our government
The workers feel that Congress 10
self must share our chngrin and sense
Of injustice when the courts exhibit an
utter disregard for the real intent and
purpose of the laws enacted to safe
guard and protect the workers In the
exercise Of their normal activities
There is something omlnous In the
ironic manner In which the courts
guarantee TO workers: :
The right to be mnlmed and killed
without liz hility TO the employer
"The right 10 be- discharged for bs
longing 10 labor union.
THE rlvht 10 work an many hours
as employers please and under any con
ditiOns which they may impose.
Labor ia justly indignant at the be
stownl or the guaranteeing Of these
worthless and academic rights by the
courts. which In the same breath deny
and forbll the workers the practical
and necessary protection Of laws which
define AMI safeguard their rights ano
liberties and tho exercise Of them indL
yiduRlly or In association"
Tho protest" submitted by Mr. Com.
pers and his ssocintes-Josoph r YaL
entino, eighth vice president of tho
American Federation Of labor: W X
Farley Of the United Mine Workers of
America c. NJ Burnett Of the Amert
can Society Of Equity; W u MahoH.
president Of tho Amalfamnted Street
hnd Electric Railway Employees, and r.
I J, McArdl9 Of the AmalEnmaicd Asso
clation Of Iron and Steel Workers-rs
I fcrH 20 tho Supreme Court decision m
| the hat'crs' case as tho most recent
| poryorsi1n Of the intent Of q law b,
/ the Judiciary By which tho Sherman
antitrust law has been made 10 apply
/ 10 labor although II was an accepted
I fact That Congress did not Intend the
I law 10 20 apply and might oven have
/ specifically exempted labor but foi
I fear that the Supreme Court might con
siruc such an Affirmative provision 70
l ba unconstitutional