East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-11-08

nant to liberty and human freedor
and that 1t is the duty, the imperativ
duty to protest.
Out of this attempt to seat the re
presentatlves of the men of labor
believe will come good. / know tha
the people Of the country and the la
Dor movement will be found united II
patriotic protest against curtailment o
the liberties for which our forefather
struggled in order that we might b.
free.
Congress has thus far failed to pas
any amendment to the Sherman anti
trust law relieving the labor organlza
tions from the operations of that law
as interpreted by the supreme court
OF the United States in the suit OF
Loewe and Company, hat manufactur.
ers of Danbury, Conn, against the
United Hatters of North America, for
three fold damages claimed by losses
that Is $4,000. Though It is true
that since this decision has been rem
dered, few suits have been Instituted
against organized labor under the pro-
visions of the new Interpretation
placed upon the law yet It is also true
that every labor organization and
every individual member of the or
ganization are menaced by the pres
ent statute.
Take away the right and opportu-
nifty of the workers, the masses of the
people to associate themselves for their
common protection against oppres-
sion whether by king or Industrial
potentate; curb the power of the
workers. the people, for effective pro-
test and a new era of blighted life will
have been fnaugurated. Against the
possibility of such a condition of af-
fairs American workers must not only
protest but they must make that pro-
test effective and complete. In all
times and under all forms of govern
ment wherever slavery exists, the
workers were the slave class. And
particularly under modern industrial
conditions with wealthy concentra-
tion If from the workers is filched by
government the right to associate
peacefully and voluntarily in their as
sociation and organization to exercise
the natural, normal functions of such
organizations to protect their rights
and interest against greed, avarlce and
overbearlng tyranny, then the first ele-
ments of slavery have been injected
into our lives and futures.
Intunctlons, we ask the sixtieth
congress for relief from the abuse
and misuse of the writ of Injunction;
we asked for a restoration OF the an
cient and cherished right Of trial
BY jury so that the people may be
safe. guarded from the absolutlstn Of
judicial tyranny; but in spite of all
hitherto accepted rules Of procedure
and of evidence one man, a judge
presiding in an equity court, may re-
yard all such established methods and
absolutely set his own opinion as a
'inallty in spite of the fact that no
written statute in this or any other
and grants him .such extraordinary
While the discussion of greater is
'ues in the past year has tended to
'elegate to the background such
lights as that of the boycott, yet 4
hould be recreant in my duty were
to remain silent upon that subject
Ind thus, perhaps, strengthen this
which has been assiduous-
y given out by our opponents, that
he boycott-that is, the right to
patronage, to bestow 1t up
N whom we please-has been with
rawn from the workers of the coun-
ry during the legal proceedings in
elation to the injunction secured by
he Buck Stove & Range company.
1t will be remembered that the in
JUNCTION was sought primarily to re- .
train the people in their right to quit
uying Bucks stoves and ranges. 1t ,
verreached itself so far that the
light of freedom of speech and press
ecame involved. However, no con-
Iteration of the injunction has been
ossible by the courts without taking
p the principle involved in the boy
oft.
We have always held and we still
cid that the. workers or any of the
eople have the right to withhold or
, bestow their patronage on whom
ley choose; that they have the right
D pay the standard rate of wages and
gree to other equitable conditions
hich the workers through their or
and hence the withdraw
Of patronage
The boycotts declared by other cit
ems have some times been placed Z
II other reasons and they can safe :
be left to a defense of our own a
,tions. | only wish to point out in Q
lssing that the boycott is by no =
cans weapon used by the work .
IS alone. 1T is one of those inalien- =
Die rights which are at times used \
: all people. The right to with !
Did or bestow patronage is. one OF Z
lose things which can neither be <
Joined, forbidden or punished. =
Upon the workers and their organ <
alton, however, was made the at /
mpt to have the boycott declared
lawful and a conspiracy and hence (
bject to judicial decree and punish