The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-01-09
LABOR CONDITIONS.

1
no where else on earth, save in
despotic and autocratic Russia.
Men of labor, for daring to ex-
press an opinion, can be imprisoned
at the mere within Of a judge who
can exercise his usurped powers in
utter defiance of the law guaran-
teeing the right of trial by jury to
the meanest criminal in the land.
| Corporations, trusts and unscrup-
ulous individuals can violate every
| requirement of the moral law in
the conduct and management of
their factories, and organized labor
shall not be permitted to use it's
moral influence to effect An i'm
provement of such conditions with
out subjecting itself to the risk
of imprisonment.
When a member of the wealthy
class of the nation is at last con-
victed Of violating a law which he
had transgressed a thousand times
before, his punishment is merely a
fine which he doesn't feel, or if
large enough to make him feel, he
gets out nt paying it altogether;
but for the man of labor nothing
short OF term OF Imprisonment is
melted out by the court.
| AS was we'll said by the Daily
Star In a leading editorial "a Mon
days issue:
In recent years numbers Of men
have been convicted of violating the
antitrust laws and the anti-rebate
laws. Every one of these cases rep
resented positive injustice-the rob-
berry OF society on large scale.
A number of convictions have
been had for violations of the safe
ty appliance law passed by con-
gress. The law was passed to pre-
vent manning and killing of human
beings. Its violation represented
disregard OF human life.
Men away up in the social and
financial world have. been con-
vioted of making and vending drugs
that were dangerous to health and
life.
Has a single jail sentence been
imposed upon the violators Of any
of these laws?
A great conspiracy against trade
has existed for more than a quarter
of century. It has ruthlessly de-
stroyed it's competitors. it has
'bribed men, from the lowest to the
highest, both In private and public
life. It. has ruthlessly trampled
upon the law and the rights of
society. In all it's history of wrong
doing has any official Of the Stand
ard Oil been sent to jail?
Three men-Samuel Gompers,
John Mitchell and Frank Morrison
have been sentenced to Jail for
one year, nine months and six
months respectively. Had they
robbed anybody? Had they en-.
dangered life, limb or health OF
any of their fellows?
What was their offense?
The courts say that business is
property. In order TO protect the
business of the Bucks Stove &
Range company those men were en-.
Joined from publishing the fact that
they and their associates regarded
that concern as unfair" to labor
In the belief that they had the
, constitutional right to publish their
opinions, they continued to publish
their remarks in the Federationist
Judge Wright holds that their ac
=. was violation of the Injunction
and has adjudged them guilty O.
contempt and imposed the abov,
). jail sentences.
This situation raises a number O.
questions
=, Is property more sacred tina,
life, limb and the rights at so
iciety?
Why is 1t that an ''unfair list
that interferes with the sale o
y goods or the conduct OF business /
illegal, but BLACK list that pre
j. vents men from getting work
'- legal?
II Why is 1t that Jail sentences ar
n imposed upon laboring men Will
presidents OF railroads and othe
Q high officials who violate injunc
n tons draw only fines? --*~ II -
IS Is the order of a single 3udg
y more sacred than the law enacte
n by nation and state? =. II %.s.Il.
I'll + Why: Is It that great maletaetor
n may contest the constitutionality .
e laws enacted. to- protect life. limt
FL health and society, and when tn
g court Of last resort has upheld til