The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-12-08
REFORM OF THE COURTS.
mot Possible When Judiciary |,
Attacked Unfortunately,

AL the last election certain leadars
OF organized labor made a violent md
sweeping attack upon the entire in.
dietary OF the country. an attack
couched In such terms as to include
the most upright, honest and broad
minded judges no less than those OF
narrower mind and more restricted
outlook. 1t was the kind of attack ad.
mirably fitted to prevent any success.
full attempt to reform abuses Of the
Judiciary, because 1t gave the cham.
pions OF the unjust judge their eagerly
desired opportunity TO Shift their
ground into championship Of Just
judges who were unjusty assai!ed
Last year before the house committee
on the judiciary these same labor lead
ers formulated their demands, specify
Ing the bill that contained them. re-
fusing all compromise, stating they
wished the principle Of that bill or
nothing. They insisted on provision
that In labor dispute no injunction
should issue except TO protect a prop
erty right and specifically provided
that the right to carry on business
should not be construed as a property
Right, and In a second provision their
bill made legal in labor dispute any
act or agreement by or between two
or more persons that would not have
been unlawful II done by single per.
son. In other words, this bill legal
lied blacklisting and boycotting in ey.
cry form. legalizing. for instance, those
forms Of the secondary boycott which
the anthracite coal strike commission
30 unreservedly condemned. while the
right to carry on business was ex-
plicitly taken out from under that pro-
lection which the law throws over
property. The demand was made that
there should be trial by jury in con.
tempt cases, thereby most seriously i'm.
pairing the authority of the courts.
All this represented course OF policy
which, II carried out, would mean the
enthronement Of class privilege In
Its crudest and most brutal form and
the destruction of one of the most es-
sential functions of the judiciary In all
civilized lands.
The violence OF the crusade for this
legislation and its complete failure IL
lustrate two truths which 1t is essen
tial our people should learn. In the
first place. they ought to teach the
workingman, the laborer, the wage
worker, that by demanding what is
Improper and impossible he plays into
the hands Of his foes. Such crude
and vicious attack upon the courts,
even II 1t were temporarily successful.
would inevitably in the end cause
Violent reaction and would band the
great mass of citizens together, forcing
hem to stand by all the judges. com
oetent and incompetent alike rather
han to see the wheels of justice
stopped. A movement Of this kind eau
Ultimately result In nothing but dam
lge to those in whose behalf 1t IS
undertaken. This Is
most healthy truth, which 1t Is wise
or all our people to learn. Any move
nent based on that class hatred when
It times assumes the name of class
is certain ultimately 10
all and, if 1t temporarily succeeds, 10
10 farreaching damage. Glass con
ciousness" where 1t is merely another
lame for the odious vice Of class
elfishness is equally no1ious whether
II an employers association or in
association. The move
nent in question was one In which
he appeal was made to all workingneh
0 vote primarily not as American cur
ems, but as individuals Of a certain
lass in society. Such an appeal, III
he first place, revolts the more hlsu
minded and farsighted among the per
ons to whom 1t Is addressed ana, ID
he second place, tends to arouse
trong antagonism among all othei
lasses Of citizens, whom 1t thereiol'
ends to unite against the very organ
zation on whose behalf 1t Is issueu'
The result is therefore unfortuna's
rom every standpoint. This heaith,
ruth, by the way, will be Learned ~
he Socialists II they ever succeed ~
In this country an impoi'
ant national party based on sueu
lass consciousness and selfish class W