The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-12-19

than at present of the wealth thew
produce.
Postal savings banks will make r.
easy ior the poorest to keep their saw
lngs in absolute safety.
mere must be prohibition of child
labor.
mere should no longer be any pal
terlng with the question of taking
care OF wageworkers who become
Killed, crippled or worn out as part of
the regular incidents of a given bust
ness.
Our present system works a dread
ful wrong and is of benefit to only one
class-the lawyers.
The Courts.
AT the last election certain leaders
OF organized labor made a violent and
sweeping attack upon the entire iu-
dietary OF the country. Such a crude
and vicious attack upon the courts,
even If it were temporarily success
Iul, would inevitably in the end cause
violent reaction and would band the
great mass of citizens together, fore
ing them to stand by all the judges,
competent and incompetent alike,
rather than to see the wheels of JUS
tice stopped.
The wagewOrkers, the workingmen,
the laboring men of the country, by
the way in which they repudiated the
effort to get them to cast their votes
RI n Ill l.
tired, have emphasized their sound pa
triotism and Americanism.
The judges who have shown them
selves able and willing effectively to
check dishonest activity of the very
rich man, who have shown themselves
alert to do justice to the wageworker,
are the real bulwark of the courts;
these judges, the judges of the stamp
of the president-elect, who have been
fearless in opposing labor when it has
gone wrong, but fearless also in hold
ing to strict account corporations that
work iniquity, and 1ar-sighted in see
ing that the workingman gets his
rights, are the men of all others to
whom we owe it that the appeal for
such violent and mistaken legislation
has fallen on deaf ears.
The courts are jeoparded primarily
by the action of these federal and
state judges who show inability or
unwillingness to put stop to the
wrongdoing of very rich men, and in
ability or unwillingness to give relief
to men of small means or WageWOrk-
erS.
There are certain decisions by vari-
GUS courts which have been exceed
ingly detrimental to the rights OF
wageworkers. This is true of all the
decisions that decide that men and
women are, by the constitution,
guaranteed their liberty" to contract
to enter dangerous occupation, or to
work an improper number of hours, or
in unhealthy surroundings; and there
fore cannot recover damages and can
not be forbidden to work what the
legislature decides is an excessive
number of hours.
There is also, think, ground Tor
the belief that substantial injustice
is often suffered by employees In con-
sequence of the custom OF courts Is
suing temporary injunctions without
notice to them, and Furnishing them
for contempt of court in instances
where, as a matter of fact, they nave
no knowledge of any proceedings.
Provision should be made that no
Injunction or temporary restraining
order issue otherwise than on notice,
except where irreparable injury wouio
otherwise result; and in such case
hearing on the merits OF the oroer
should be had within short fixed
period, and, if not then continued
after hearing, it should forthwith
lapse. Decisions should be rendered
Immediately, and the chance OF delay
minimized in every way.
The courts are to be highly CON-
mended and staunchly upheld when
thew set their faces against wrong
doing or tyranny by a majority; but
thew are to- be blamed when they fail
to recognize, under a government IKE
ours. the deliberate judgment OF the
ma 1Or1tY as 10 q udIICA u AS9ASA~~
nolicy. when duly expressed by the
legislature.
Forests.
IF there is any one duty which more
than another we owe it to our children
and our children's children to per
form at once, it is to save the forests
Of this country, for they constltute
the first and most important element
in the conservation of the naturai re-
sources of the country.
What has thus happened In Nortn'
orn China. what has happened IN Cen
ira Asia. in Palestine, in North Al
RIGA. in parts Of the Mediterranean
countries of Europe, win surely hap
nen in our country II we do not exer-
cise that wise forethought wnicn
should be one Of the chief marks OF
anv people calling itself civilized.
Nothing should be permitted 10 stano
- the way Of the preservation OF the
forests and it is criminal to permit
individuals to purchase q little gam
for themselves through the destruc-
La IN