The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-09-11


 Danville, III, September 10-Speaker Joseph G. Cannon tonight opened the campaign for reelection to Congress in his home town. Almost his entire address of nearly two hours was devoted to the labor question. He paid his respects to Samuel Gompers president of the Amer ican Federation of Labor, who spoke here on Labor Day and attacked MT. Cannon, Inviting union worlingmen to vote against him. MT. Cannot plainly said he would never vote in Congress for the boycott and some other things demanded by Gompers. including an anti-injunction law that, he declared, would make fish of one and fowl of another. MT. Can- non was greeted by an audience of 5000, who cheered for several minutes when he appeared on the stage. He was escorted from his home to the theatre by the Can- non Escort club, an organization that has taken an active part in every campaign here for 20 years.
 In leading up to reply to MT. Gompers MT. Cannon said that there were two par amount issues in this campaign. One was the tariff and the other the integrity and independence of the judiciary. After de- voting considerable attention to the posi- tion of the two leading parties on the tariff question, and discussing prosperity, MT. Cannon concluded that the depression of last October did not affect the farm CTS, who constitute one-third of the popu- lation, and that the people in the aggre- gate were never in so good condition to xUt country was fast recovering from its ef- feet. Taking up the judiciary MT. Can non said that the democratic platform this year declared that the courts of justice are the bulwarks of our liberties, and we yield to none in our purpose to maintain their dignity" He said that MT. Bryans platform then renewed the pledges in the platform of 1896 to compel the federal courts to grant jury trials in contempt proceedings.
 Demand for Jury Trial.
 MT Cannon then took up the history of the demand for anti-injuncton legisla- tion, and pointed out that the demand for jury trial in contempt proceeding came first after the punishment of EugeA V. Debs, now candidate for President on the socialist ticket, but in 1894 the leader of the railroad strike. He referred to the calling of federal troops to Chicago by President Cleveland and recited the his- tory of the attempt by various congress- men to pass a law in 1896 to take from the courts the power to grant injunctions in labor disputes, and their power to pun ish contempt. He said that while the bill was passed by democratic Senate on June 10, 1896, the day the Fifty-fourth Congress adjourned, and although the democrats indorsed such legislation in their platform of 1896, both actions were accepted b.s the people as an attack on the judiciary and aided materially in the overwhelming defeat of MT. Bryan. The republican House stood against such leg islation in 1S96 and the people sustained the action. Mr. Cannon pointed out that in 1893 the democrats might have passed such an anti-injunction law, that they controlled both houses and had a demo- cratic President; that MT. Bryan was a member of that Congress. but he was si- lent regarding injunctions by federal court, although a court in Louisiana had at that time decided that labor organiza- tions were amenable to the sherman anti trust law.
 Request of Gompers.
 Speaker Cannon then told of the ap- pearance of MT. Gompers before the
 
 was considering the Hepburn bill to ask for an amendment that would authorize the boycott. He said MT. Gompers was asked whether an amendment suggested by him was meant to relieve labor un- ions from the operation of the Sherman antitrust law as construed in the Dan- ury-Hatters case. Upon MT Gompers replying ''yes," the chairman had asked him: Do you as the representative of organized labor favor the boycott both as an interstate and a local proposi- tion?" MT. Cannon said that MT. Comp CTS replied q do sir
 Tt will be seen,'' said Mir Cannon, that MT. Gompers complaint was di- rect as to the decision of the court on the boycott, not as to what it might lead to in interference with agreements between employers and employees, or as to the right of employees to strike. His contention Is for the right to boycott. to use the influence he has with a great organization which he says has mem bership of more than two million men, to boycott the product of any man or any firm for any cause whatever, and to use the publication under his con- tro to injure any mans business for any cause or whim that pleased him. That would be illegal in any publication by any man, and, it is difficult to see how it can be made above the law or how MT Gompers can be exempted from the operation of the law that applies to all men.
 'The federal courts have not laid any bar in legal decisions against agreements