Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-12-16


formulated their demands, specifying
the bill that contained them, refusing
all compromise. stating they wisIe d
the principle of that bill or nothing.
They insisted on a provision that in
labor dispute no injunction should
issue except to protect a property
right, and specifically provided that
the right to carry on business should
not be construed as = property right:
and in a second provision their bill
made legal in a labor dispute any act
or agreement by or between two or
more persons that would not have
been unlawful If done by a single per-
son. In other words. this bill legal
lied blachlisting and boycotting in
every form legalizing. or instance,
those forms of the secondary boycott
which the anthracite coal strike com.
mission so unreservedly condo mined
while the right to carry on business
was explicit Y taken out from under
tha' protection which the law throws
over property The demand was
made that there should be a trial by
jury in contempt cases, thereby most
seriously impairing the authority of
the courts. All this represented a
course of policy which, if carried out,
would mean the enforcement of
class privilege in its crudest and
most brutal form, and the destruction
OF one of the most essential functions
of the judiciary = all civilized lands.
The violence of the crusade for this
legislation, and its complete failure,
illustrate two truths which it is essen.
tial our people should learn. In the
first place, they ought to teach the
workingman, the laborer, the wage.
worker, that by demandinC what is
improper and impossible re plays into
the hands of his foes. Such a crude
and vicious attack upon the courts,
even If 1t were temporarily successful,
would inevitably in the end cause a
violent reaction and would band the
great mass of citizens together, fore.
ing them to stand by al the judges,
competent and incompetent alike,
rather than to see the wheels of jus.
tice stopped. A movement of this kind
can ultimately result in nothing but
damage to those in whose behalf it is
nominaliy undertaken.
The wageworkers, the workingmen,
the laboring men of the country by
the way in which they repudiated the
effort to get them to cast their votes
In response to an appeal to class
hatred, have emphasized their sound
patriotism and Americanism. The
whole country has cause to feel pride
in this attitude of sturdy independ-
ence, in this uneompromisi, insist.
ence upon acting simply as good citi-
Zens, as good Americans, without re-
gard to fancied-and improper-class
interests. Such an attitude is an OBJ,
ject lesson in good citizenship to the
entire nation.
Court Decisions.
There are certain decisions by vari.
Gus courts which have en- detrimen.
tai to the rights of wageworkers. This
is true of all the decisions that decide
that men and women are, by the con.
stitution, guaranteed their liberty"
to contract to enter dangerous occu.
patton, or to work an undesirable or
improper number of hours, or TO work
in unhealthy surroundings; and there.
fore can net recover damages when
manned in that occupation, anu can
not be forbidden to work what the
legislature decides Is an excessive
number OF hours, or 10 carry on the
work under conditions which the IegiS.
lature decides to be unhealthy. The
most dangerous occupations are often
the poorest paid and those where the
hours of work are longest; and in
are driven by necessity SO great that
they have practically no alternative
Decisions such as those alluded to
above nuiIify the legislative effort 10
protect the wage-workers who most
need protection from those employers
who take advantage of their grinding
need.
Provision should be made, says
the president, that no injunction or
temporary restraining order issue
otherwise than on notice, except where
irreparabie injury would otherwise re.
suit; and in such case hearing on
the merits Of the order should be had
within a short fixed period. and, if
not then continued after hearing, ii
should forthwith lapse. Decisions
should be rendered Immediately, and
the chance of delay mininized sn
every way.
Forests
The forests can only be protected by
the state, by the nation; and the lib-
erty of action Of individuals must be
conditioned upon what the state or
nation determines to be necessary for
the common safety. The lesson of de
forestation in China is a lesson which
mankind should have learned many
times already from what has occurred
in other places DenUdat1on leaves
naked soil; then outlying cuts down to
the bare rock; and meanwhile the
rock-waste buTfes the bottom lands.
When the soil Is gone. mon must go:
and the process does not take Tong.
This ruthless destruction Of the for
ests in northern China has brought