New-York tribune., 1908-03-20
LABOR LEADERS
PRESENT DEMANDS.
W1NT EXEMPTION FROM
ANTITRUST L4W.
appeal for Legislation to Fairbanks
and Cannon En- plOyers La
biHty Act Promised.


Vice President Fairbanks to-day announced
their belief that the present Congress will pass
an employers liability act which Will meet and
overcome the objections to the present law
pointed out by the Supreme Court OF the United
States in q recent decision
These statements were made unreservedly by
Speaker Cannon and guardedly by the Vice.
President to delegation led by Samuel Com
pers. president of the American Federation of
Labor from eighty seven national and inter-
national trade and labor unions and organiza-
tions of farmers assembled in national con-
ference in this city. The delegation called on
the Sneaker to lay before the House of Repre-
sentatives, through him, memorial entitled
"Labor's Protest to Congress" The scope OF
this memorial was set forth in the following
| opening paragraphs:
We the official representatives of the national
and international trade and labor unions ana
organization Of farmers. in natlonai conference
assembled, in the District of Columbia, for the
purpose of considering and taking action deemed
| necessary to meet the situation IN Wnlch the
working people of country are placed p5
recent decisions of the courts now appear be-
fore Congress to voice the earnest and emphatic
| protest Ct the workers OF tne country asdiiSt
| the Indifference if not actual hostility. which
Congress has shown toward the reasonable and
| righteous measures proposed by the workers Tor
| the safeguarding of their rights and interests
In the name cf labor we now urge upon Con
| gress the necessity for immediate action Tor
! relief from the most grave and mOmentOus stu
| alton which has ever confronted the working
| people of this country. This crisis has been
| brought about by the application by the Su-
| preme Court Of the United States of the Sher-
| man antitrust law to the workers both organ
| lied and in their individual capacity.
Labor and the pee pie generally look askance
| at the invasion of the court upon the prerosa-
| tives of the lawmaking and executive depart
| ments of government.
The workers feel that Congress itself must
| share chagrin and sense of injustice when
| the courts exhibit an utter disregard for the
cal
| guard and protect the workers in the exercise
| of their normal activities. There is something
omnous in the irCniC manner IN which the
| courts guarantee to workers:
The right to be MANNED and killed without
| liability to the employer:
| The right to be discharged for belonging TO
/ a uniCn:
| The right to work as many hours employ
| ers please and under any conditions which they
| Labor is justly indignan. the bestowal or
| guaranteeing, of these worthless and academic
rights by the courts, which in the same breath
! deny and forbid to the workers the practical
| and necessary protection of laws which define
and safeguard their rights and liberties and the
| exercise of them individually or in association
| COURTS DECISION ATTACKED.
The protest submitted by Mr. Gompers and
| his associates-Joseph F. Valentine eighth vice.
| president of the American Federation of Labor;
| w r. Farley of the United Mine Work
| ers of North America; C. J. Barnett, of the
| American Society of Equity; W. D. Mahon
president of the Amalgamated Street and Elec-
| trio Railway Employees. and P. J. McArdle. Of
| the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel
| Workers-refers to the Supreme Courts de-
| cision in the Danbury hatters case as the most
recent perversion of the intent of law by the
! judiciary by which the Sherman antitrust law
| has been made to apply to labor, although it
| was an accepted fact that Congress did not
! intend the law so to apply and might
| have specifically exempted labor but for the
fear that the Supreme Court might construe
| such affirmative provision to be unconstitu-
| tionaL" The memorial continues:
The workers earnestly urge Congress to CO.
| operate with them in the upDuIlding and educat-
| ing of a public sentiment which VIII cCnflne the
| judiciary to its proper function. which Is GER
| tainly not that of placing d construction upon
| q law the very opposite of the plain intent OF
| Congress- thus rendering worthless even the
| very moderate efforts which Congress has so
| far put forth 70 define the status of the most
| important, numerous and patriotic of our people
| the wageworkers. the producers of all wealth.
We contend that equity power and jurisdic-
tion olScretoharv eoVelleie u! .G Juulcitss
| fer well defined purposes ana Wltnin specinc
limitation, granted to the courts by the Consti-
| tuition has been extended that 1t Is invad-
| ing the field of government by law and endan-
| gering individual liberty.
| We favor enactment of laws which shall
! strict the jurisdiction of courts CT equity to
| property and property rights, and shall de-
| fine property and property rights that neither
directly nor indirectly shall there be held to be
]
labor power of any person or persons
The feeling of restless apprehension with
which the workers view the apathy OF Congress
is accentuated by the recent decision OF the
Supreme Court.
By the wrongful apI lication of the injunction
by the lower courts have been forbidden the
right of free press and free speech. and the Su-
preme Court in the hatters' case. while not di-
rectly prohibiting the exercise on these rights,
Vet so applies the Sherman law to labor that
acts involving the of free press and free
speech and hitherto assumed to be lawful now
become evidence upon which triple damages may
be collected and fines or imprisonment added as
part of the penalty.
SHERMAN LAW AMENDMENTS.
The memorial submits to Congress for con-
sideration two amendatory provisions in sub
stance follows:
That nothing in said act fisherman antitrust
IawI or in this act is intended nor shall any pro-
vision thereof hereafter be enforced %
aDpIv 10 organizations associations for
profit and without capital stock, noS TO the men,
bers of such organizations or associations.
That nothing in said act fisherman antitrust
IavI or in this act Is intended nor shall any pro
vision thereof hereafter be enforced ap
ply to any arrangements, agreel,ien'S OF co,nD,-
nations among persons engaged IN agriculture
or horticulture made with view OF enhancing
the price of their own agricultural or horticult-
ural products.
Congress is informed in the memorial that IN
edition TO the foregoing the most important
measures which labor urges are: The bill 10
regulate and limit the issuance of injunctions:
+be ennIovers' liability bill; the bill extending
,no annIication Of the eght-hour law to all gov
eminent employees and those employed work
for -he government by contractors or sub-cou-
tractors"
The memorial closes as follows:
We come TO Congress hoping for a prompt
and adequate remedy for the grievances OF
for nf C1Nr