The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-20
WANT SHERMAN
 ACT AMENDED Big Labor Mass Meeting Held to Protest Against Recent Supreme Court De-
 cisions. CLAIM ACT WAS STRETCHED Determined Effort to Have Moro Fla. vorablc Laws Passed to be Started by Federation
 of Labor.
CLAIM ACT WAS STRETCHED

The Bijou theater was comfortable flled last night by working men as- sempled for mass netting In protest against the application by the su- preme court decision of the Sherman Antitrust Act to Trades Unions If was one of series of similar meet ings asked for yesterday and to-day throughout the country by the Amer ican Federation of Labor. The com munication calling for the meeting was read. recommending united action on the part of members of labor or- ganizations and their friends to bring about the passage by the present con- gress Of an amendment stating specjfi- cally that the sherman Anti-Trus law provisions are not meant to apply to organizations without capital and not organized for profit and shall not be so applied.
 It was emphatically stated by tho speakers that all true labor men ,n- tend to. respect the law and accent the decision of the court while 1t stands. but that they will also make use of their right as citizens to protest against this as an unjust decision and to work for the changing of the iaws by all legitimate means to secure for labor more satisfactory conditions. The speakers referred to the decision as bringing about severe crisis in the history of labor organizations, but all had the optimistic view that ulti- mate good would result
 Arthur N. Clark. an official of the Meat Cutters union. was the first speaker. Referring to the decision he said: Labor people want this act to be applied so as to regulate only those Whom 1t was intended to regu- late. It was never intended to apply to labor organizations and those who handed down this decision know 1t as well as you and l.
 The trades unions are going to keep close watch on every represen- tatlve of every district in the United States and if they fail in their duty to the laboring people believe there will be many more resignations of the type of Littlefelds."
 He recommended that all write let- ters to their representatives urging the passage of the amendment and showing how strong the feeling here is in regard to the decision.
 Charles J. Donohue, former candi. wate for representative at large on the democratic ticket, was the next speaker. He began by referring 10 the decision and quoting Samuel Com. pers' remark that the rights of hats are greater than the rights of men," according to 1t. He continued, The supreme court of the United States has enunciated this law, the supreme law of the land. We propose to sub- init to law. Every man having a. correct view of the meaning of tho organization are in sympathy with the institutions of the country. Recogniz- ing the supreme court of the United States as an institution of our coun- try We intend as men to respect the decision of the court and abide by 1t.
 But we reserve the right to pros test. It is not taught in any of our schools that the rulings of court are infallible. We are not expected to feel any superstitious reverence for court The supreme courts decis. ions have been reversed before. We intend to protest and give to the coun- try our reasons for 1t. We believe we are within our rights as citizens to protest.
 There is a marked distinction be- tween trust and a labor organiza- ton which warrants some criticism of