Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-08-27

make any difference to me who's
elected, but if this plant shuts down
l lose my job. If | lose my job I'm
on the street" To expect him to "as-
sert the God-given right of the fran
chise," as some orators put it, Is to
expect him to ignore the rule that
"self-preservation is the first law of
nature" You can't hand that poppy
cock" to a man with a wife and fam
lily depending on him for their exist
ence. | don't mean for their comfort,
l mean literally for their existence.
A certain judge in our city was up
for reelection. He had hit labor's
head every time it appeared before
him. He had earned the title of the
Injunction Judge" He was a re-
spected and reputable citizen, man
of blameless private life. But he did
not decide in favor of labor unions. I
am not impugning his motives nor his
integrity. And the supreme court af-
firmed his decisions.
Our party made extraordinary ef-
forts to beat this man. Circulars call
culated among the laboring element.
The labor unions had representatives
among every class and race calling
attention to these decisions, and his
attitude toward the labor unions. Good
speakers, will out in any way STOPPING
to abuse or unfairness, showed the Ia
Dor element that this particular jur-
ist, if reelected, could reasonably be
expected to drive nail into labor's
coffin every time he had an opportu.
nifty. There was no difficulty in the
way of labor "plumping" it's solid vote
against this particular candidate, for
all that was necessary was to put
cross in the ring in front of the oppo.
sition candidate.
Day in and day out, week in and
week out the campaign was steadily
waged against this man. 1t was not
simply because of his party; nor be-
cause his decisions had sent men to
cells for what they believed was exer.
cising the right to privileges guaran-
teed them by the state constitution
and the constitution of the United
States. These men may have eX-
ceeded their rights. The supreme court
of the state said they did. Let 1t go
at that! But he was a candidate we
wanted to beat, and his adversary was
an entirely reputable lawyer, standing
as high in the estimation of the COM
munity as our antagonist
The day of election came and the
Judge we were trying to defeat, with
the aid Of the labor vote in addition
to our own strength, was triumphant.
ly elected. The labor" vote did not
materalize. II was voted, all right,
for the registration did not disclose
any great array of "stay-at-homes."
But the labor vote did not throw its
strength against the man who had so
often decided against it in his court
room. II labor had gone solidly
against him, no possible detection
from our s. It party ranks would
have saved him, for the labor vote, so
far as numbers was concerned, would
have overwhelmed him.
There are two sides to this granting
Of injunctions, you know. Both great
parties are now getting out state plat
forms protesting against the abuse of
this power. But suppose we say, for
the sake of argument purely, that this
Judge was absolutely right in every de-
cision that he made. Even if this
were admitted (Which I deny) he was
a judge whom labor had every reason
in the world to wish to retire to pri.
vate life.
Take it from me, with my sympathy
always with the labor element as an
entirety (because 1t has the hardest
row to hoe), that the labor vote"
and all this piffle about the labor
vote" is the merest "monkey-moon.
shine"
ERNEST M'GAFFEY.
copyright. uos. by Joseph B. pawIes.) !