The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-04-02

other measure which would achieve tne
desired end. Bearing this In mind. / would
suggest, merely tentatively, the following
changes In the law:
The substantive part OF the antitrust
law should remain as at present; that is,
commerce among the several states or
with foreign nations should continue to
be declared illegal: provided, however,
fnnaact, s as e.. propsr goVernmen. ausnority
acting under the secretary Of
and labor be allowed to pass on any such
contracts. Probably the best method Of
providing for this would, be to enact that
any contract, subject to the prohibition
contained In the antitrust law, into which
1t was desired to enter, might be fled
appropriate executive body. This would
provide publicity. Within, say. 60 days OF
the ~dling-which period could b. extended
by order of the department whenever for
any. reason 1t did not give the department
SUFFICIENT time for q thorough examine
tion-the executive department having
power might, forbid the contract, which
would then become subject to the pro-
visions of the antitrust law, IL at all In
restraint Of trade
If no such prohibition was Issued, tho
tack on the ground that It constituted
an unreasonable restraint Of trade. When
ever the period Of fling a passed with
or out cS amy sEGa pr Cam5 ION the contracts
forbidden only after notice and hearing
with a reasonable provision for summary
review on appeal by the courts. Labor
organizations, farmers organizations, and
other organizations not organized for pur-
poses of profit, should be allowed to reg
lister under the Law. by giving the location
and the names and addresses OF their
principal officers. In the interest OF all
these Observation-Disclosures labor, and
farmers organizations alike-the present
provision permitting the recovery Of three
fold damages should be abolished, and az
a substitute therefor the right OF recovery
sustained by the plaintiff and the cost
OF suit, including a reasonable attorneys
fee.
The law should not affect pending suits;
a short statute Of limitations should be
provided. so far as the past is concerned,
not to exceed a year. Moreover, and even
more in the interest Of labor than az
business combinations. all such suits
brought for causes OF action heretofore
occurred should be brought only II the
contract or combination complained OF
was unfair or unreasonable. It may be
we'll to remember that all of the suits
hitherto brought by the government under
the antitrust law have been In cases
where the combination or contract was
in fact unfair, unreasonable, and against
the public interest.
Strikes Legal.
1t Is important that we should encour-
age trade agreements between employer
and employe where they are just and fair.
A strike is a clumsy weapon for fighting
wrongs done to labor, and we should ex-
tend, so far as possible, the process of
Cancellation and arbitration as a substitute
and coercion, when. committed In connec.
ton with strikes, should be as promptIv
and as sternly repressed as when com
mitted In any other connection. But
strikes themselves are. and should be, rec
ognized to be entirely legal. Combina-
tons OF ~workingmen have a peculiar rea-
individual employer, and still more the
very wealthy corporation, stand at an
enormous advantage when compared to
the individual w~orkingman; and while
there are many cases where II may not
be necessary for laborers to form q union.
In many other cases 1t Is Indispensable,
for otherwise the thousands Of small units
the thousands of individual workingmen,
will be left helpless in their dealings with
the one big unit. the big individual or
corporate employer.
June 20, 1885. trades Unions were recoS-
nized by law, and the right OF laborinR
people to combine for all. lawful purposes
was formerly recognized. this right In
GLIDING combination for mutual protection
and benefits, the regulation OF wages,
hours and conditions of labor, aud the
protection. Of the individual rights az the
workmen in the prosecution Of their trade
or trades; and In the act of June !. 1898,
strikes were recognized as legal in the
same provision that forbade participation
in or instigation Of force or violence
against persons or property, or the at
tempt to prevent others from working,
by violence. threat, or intimidation. The
business man must be protected in person
and property, and Sc must the farmer
and the wageworkcr; and az regards all
alike. the right OF peaceful combination
Cor all lawful purposes should be explicitly
recognized.
The right o. employers to combine and
contract with one another and with their
employees should be explicitly recognized:
and SO should the right OF the employees
to combine and to contract with one an
other and with the employers, and to seek
peaceably to persuade others to accept
their views, and to strike for the purpose
Of peaceably obtaining from employers
satisfactory terms for their labor. Moth
ing should be done to legaltze either a
blacklist or a boycott hat would be IL
legal at common law; this being the type
OF boycott defined and condemned by the
anthracite strike commission.
Establish Postal Banks.
The question Of financial legislation Is
now receiving such attention in both
houses that W. have q right to expect
action before the close Of the session. It
Is urgently necessary that there should
be such action. Moreover, action should
be taken to establish postal savings banks.
These postal savings banks ara impera-
lively needed for the benefit Of the wage
workers and men of small means, and
III 10 d NdludDlC duJuuCI " OuE WHOM
financial system.
Revise Tariff.
The time has come when we should pre-
pare for a revision of the tariff. This
should be. and indeed must be, preceded
by careful Investigation. 1t Is peculiarly
the province Of the congress and not OF
the president, and indeed peculiarly the
province OF the House OF Representatives.
to originate a tariff bill and to determine
upon Its terms; and this I fully realize.
Yet It seems to me that before the close
OF this session provision should be made
for collecting full material which will en-
able the congress elected next fall to act
Immediately after 1t comes into existence.
This would necessitate some action by
the ongress at Its present session, per-
maps in the shape of directing the proper
committee to gather the necessary in
formation, both through the committee it.
self and through government agents who
should report to the committee and should
lay before IL the facts which would per-
NIT 1t to act with prompt and intelligent
fairness. These government agents, IL It
iS NOT deemed wise 70 aDDOint individuals