The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-03-26
LlBoR's PROTEST TO
CONGRESS- PRESENTED
Gompers Lays Grievances Be-
lore Speaker Cannon and
Vice President Fairbanks.
REPLIES ARE OPTIMISTIC
Leaders Are Assured That in Course
Of Tins Congress Will Frame En-
Pioyers' Liability Act That
VIII Pass Muster.

VIII PaSS MuSSer.
Washington, March 2s-Speaker Can
non and Vice President Fairbanks an
nounced their belief that h present
congress viii pass an employers liabh
10y act which will meet and overcome
he Observation-Disclosures Of the present
law pointed out by the supreme court
of the United States in a recent de-
cision.
These statements were made unre-
servedly by Speaker Cannon and guard
eddy by the vice president TO q dele
cation led by Samuel Gompers. presi.
dent of the American Federation OF
Labor, from 81 national and interna-
tional trade and labor organizations
and farmers organizations assembled
IN a national conference In this city.
The delegation called on the speaker
to lay before the House OF Representa-
tives through him a memorial entitled
"L.abor's Protest to Congress-
Rights Set Forth.
The scope of the memorial was set
forth in the following opening para
graphs:
1--WE, the official representatives OF
the national and international trade
and labor unions and organizations OF
farmers, In national conference assem-
bled. i'll the District OF Columbia, for
the purpose of the consideration and
taking action deemed necessary to meet
the situation in which the working peo-
pie of our country are placed by re-
cent decisions of the courts, now appear
before to voice the earnest
and emphatic protest OF the workers
of the country against the indifference,
II not actual hostility, which congress
has shown toward the reasonable and
NJ oL vNn ctp ra ynynrNcA1A u hn
workers for the safeguarding of their
rights and interests.
in the name of labor we. now urge
upOn congress the necessity for fmme-
date action for relief from the most
grave II momentous situation which
has ever confronted the working people
OF this country. This crisis has been
brought about by the application by
the supreme u of the United States
of the Sherman antitrust law to the
workers, both organized and In their in
diEldual capacity.
Labor and the people generally look
askance at the invasion of the court
upon the prerogatives of the law,nak-
ing and executive departments of our
government.
THE workers feel that congress itself
must share our chagrin n sense of
injustice when the courts exhibit an
utter disregard for the real intent and
Pun post VI laWS enacted TO
n protect the workers in the exer-
else of their normal activities. There
Is something ominous in the ironic an
ner in which the courts guarantee to
workers
The right to be manned and killed
without liability to the employers.
The right to be DISCHARGED for be-
longing to a union.
The right to work as many hours as
employers please and under any con-
ditions which they nay impose.
Labor Indignant.
Labor Is justly indignant at the be-
stowal or guaranteeing Of these worth
less and academic rights by the courts
which with the same breath deny and
forbid to the workers the practical and
necessary protection of laws which de-
fine and safeguard their rights and lib
critics, n the exercise of them indi-
yiddauy or in association.
The supreme court decision in the
hatters' case is the most recent perver-
sion of the intention of the law by the
judiciary, by which the Sherman anti
trust law has been made TO apply to
labor, though 1t was an accepted fact
thai congress did nor intend the law to
so apply and might even have specific
ally exempted labor, but for the fear
that the supreme court might construe
such an affirmative provision to be UNI
constitutional.
The workers earnestly urge congress
to cooperate with them in the upbuild-
Ing n educating of a public sentiment
which will confine the judiciary to it's
proper functions, which is certainly not
that of placing a construction upon a
law the very opposite of the plain in
tent OF congress, thus rendering worth
less even the very moderate effort
which congress has so far put forth
to define the status of the most i'm
portant. numerous and patriotic of our
people-the wage workers. the pro-
ducers of all wealth.
We contend that. equity. W and
jurisdiction, discretionary government
by the judiciary for well defined pIr-
pcses and within specific limitations
granted to the courts by the constitu-
tor has been so extended thai it is
invading the field of government by
law and enuangering Individual lib
erty.
We favor enactment of laws which
shall restrict the jurisdiction Of courts
Of equity to property and property
rights and shall so define property and
property rights that neither directly or
indirectly shall there be held TO be
property or property rights in the labor
OF, power Of any person or persons.
Apathy of Congress.
The feeling Of restless apprehension
with which the workers view the
apathy of congress is accumulated by
the recent decision Of the supreme
court.
BY the wrongful application OF the
injunction by the lower courts we have
been forbidden the right OF free press
and free speech. n the supreme court
in the matters case. while not directly
prohibiting the exercises Of these rights.
yet SO applies the sherman law to labor
that acts involving the use OF free
press n free speech and hitherto as
snmed to be lawful now ecomes evil
upon which triple damages may
be collected and fine and Imprisonment
added as Il part Of the penalty"
The memorial submits to congress for
consideration two a~mendatory proyis-
ions. In substance as follows:
That nothing IN said act sherman