The San Francisco call., 1908-12-09

of the bureau of labor and no American
who reads this summary can fail 10 be
struck by the great contrast between
our practices and theirs-a contrast not
in any sense to our credit
The congress should. without further
delay, pass model employers liability
law for the district of Columbia. The
employers liability act recently de-
clared unconstitutional on account of
apparently including in its provisions
employees engaged IN intrastate COM
merce, as we'll as those engaged in in
terstate commerce. has been held by
the local courts to be still in effect so
Tar a its provisions apply to the district
of Columbia. There should be no am
plguity on this point. If there Is any
be re-enacted with special reference to
the district of Columbia.
rms act, however. applies only TO
employees of common carriers In all
.. !, other occupations
.--,,.- the liability law
the s Enp,oE.s 70 Of the, district is
Common Carriers law. The severity
: and injustice OF
the common law in this matter has
been in some degree or another modi-
fed in the majority of our states. and
the only jurisdiction under the exclusive
control of the congress should be ahead
In this respect. A comprehensive en-
ployer's liability law should be passed
for the district of Columbia.
renew my recommendation made in
De granted during summer to all wage
workers in government employ
also renew my recommendation that
the principle of the eight hour day
should as rapidly and as far as prac-
t1cable be extended TO the entire work
being carried on by the government;
the, present law should be amended to
embrace contracts on those public
works which the present wording of
the act seems to exclude.
l most earnestly urge upon the con-
RI rNf ,-fw L.
inadequate salaries now given to our
judges. On the whole there is no body
or public servants who do as valuable
work, nor whose moneyed reward Is so
inadequate compared to their work.
Beginning with the supreme court the
Judges should have their salaries dou-
oled 1t Is not befittng the dignity
of the nation that its most honored
public servants should be paid sums
so small compared to what they would
earn in private life that the perform
ance of public service by them implies
an exceedingly heavy pecuniary sacri-
fee.
It is earnestly to be desired that some
method should be devised for doing
D.-,r.- v...., long delays which
- n.,.s =. A.hou tt now obtain in the
Delay of Justice justice. and which
operate with pecu-
liar severity against persons of
very criminals whom it is most desir-
able to punish. These long delays in
the final decisions of cases make in
the aggregate crying evil; and a
this intolerable delay is due to inn
proper reward paid to technicalities,
which are mere hindrance to justice.
In some noted recent cases this over,
regard for technfcalities has resulted
in a striking denial of justice, and
fagrant wrong TO the body polite.
AT the last election certain leaders
fE R1 rr0 ~ i-C 10 fAfNT~ al u
sweeping attack upon the entire judi
ciary of the country, an attack couched
In such terms as to include the most
upright, honest and broad minded
rover mind and more restricted out
look. 1t was the kind of attack ad-
full attempt to reform abuses of the
judiciary, because it gave the cham
pfons of the unjust judge their eagerly
desired opportunity to shift their
judges who were unjustly assailed.
Last year, before the house committee
leaders formulated their demands. spe-
cifying the bill that contained them,
refusing all compromise, stating they
wished the principle of that bill or
nothing. They insisted on a 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
ball 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 legalized
blacklisting and boycotting in every
+ m. legalizing,
Makes Reference forms of the Sec Sec
and Boyeottins . %Rieh + q the K a146Fst eG4zs9tt
:. cite coal strike
so unreservedly con-
demned; while the right to carry ON
from under that protection which the
law throws over property. The de-
mand was made that there should be
by most seriously impairing the au-
thority of the courts. All this re-
sented course of policy which. if
carried out. would mean the enthrone-
ment of class privilege IN it's crudest
and most brutal form and the destruc-
ton of one of the most essential func-
tlons OF the judiciary in all civilized
lands.
The violence of the crusade for this
legislation, and it's complete failure
Illustrate two truths which Ii is essen
first place, they ought to teach the
workingman, the laborer. the wage
worker, that by demanding what is i'm
proper and impossible he plays into
the hands of his foes. Such a crude
and vicious attack upon the courts
even if it were temporarily successful,
would inevitably in the end cause
violent reaction and would band the
great mass of citizens together, forcing
them TO stand by all the judges COM
petent and incompetent alike. rather
than to see the wheels of justice
stopped. A movement of this kind
can ultimately result in nothing but
damage TO those in which behalf it is
nominally undertaken. This is a most
healthy truth, which ii is wise for all
our people to learn. Any movement
based on that class hatred which at
times assumes the name of "class con-
sciousness' is certain ultimately to
fail, and If 1t temporarily succeeds
to do far reaching damage. Glass con-
sciousness, where 1t is merely another
name for odious vice of class selfshness,
is equally noxious whether in an en-
ployers' association or in a working
mems association.
The movement in question was one
in which the appeal was made to all
:. ., wor ngmen to
7 r1. .n.a = vote primarily, not
~. $50. a as American citi-
to the Voters |yid,,a1s Snut S
tain class in So
ciety. Such an appeal in the frst
place revolts the more high minded
and far sighted among the persons to
whom it is addressed, and in the sec
ond place tends to arouse strong
antagonism among all other classes of