The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-03-27
Hear Labor Issues Discussed On
Their Merits by Able
T.. Speakers.
MODERN DAY RIGHTS =.
j OF WORKING CLASSES
Must Accord With the Spirit of
" Our Progressive Civiliza-
= ton.
From Our Special Correspondent:


- ST. PAUL, March 25.-The beauti-,
tvA assembly hall Of st. Paul Council,
Knilhts of Columbus, 400 Cedar
street, bright with It's wealth Of cleo
trio lights and rich in its chaste and
artistic adornments, resounded last
Tuesday night with eloquence and
logic on matters closely connected
with the labor movement. The occa-
sion was an open discussio NOT "Boy-
colts and Injunctions," and the sub
ject was presented by speakers who
fully grasped its significance and
treated it from, knowledge acquired
through careful study and reflection
and also the impressive lessons of ex-
perience.
A Large and Thoughtful Audience.
There were more than 800 ladies and
gentlemen present and they were evi-
deI.tly deeply interested in the discus
sion, for they gave the speakers the
most careful and thoughtful attention
and manifested their appreciation of
the telling points in the remarks in
loud and liberal applause. w. M. Ste
phenson, grand knight of the council
presided and introduced the speakers
In graceful manner. The exercises
lasted about two hours and half and
there was not a dull moment during
the progress Of them.
Father Ryan's Argument.
Rev. John A. Ryan, a professor at
st. Paul seminary and author of "The
Living Wage" one of the best books
IN nf
wages for workingmen and women,
was the first speaker. He started with
the assertion that the difficulties and
hardships placed on labor by the &C
t1on of the courts were due to- two
causes which were basic in their char,
acter and radical in their action. One
was tAat the whole trend and spirit
Of the common law was favorable to
the employing class and .hostile or In
different to the laborlng class. And
the other was that public sentiment in
this country had not yet been edueat-
ed up to a fair consideration Of the
right of labor to freedom Of action.
He recounted the course of legislation
and judicial decisions through the
ages in England, which began when
the relation between employer and
employe was that of master and serf
and had for its purpose the impover-
ishment of the working classes, and
stated that in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries had succeeded in
that purpose to such an extent, in fact.
that in the beginning Of the eighteenth
century the British parliament had
repealed previously enacted law al
n fo S,f0
making them subject to the common
law proceedings in reference to con-
structive conspiries.
Practice Brought to This Country.
Father Ryan said further that the
common-law proceedings had prevailed
largely in this country also, as most
OF our judicial system was based on
that of England and there had been
but few notifications by statutes
This was due, he said, to the fact
that public sentiment was slow to
arouse on the subject, and influence
of the employing class remained para
mount. AS contributing to this con-
dition he cited the attitude Of the daily
press, which presented but one side Of
the question to the public, so that the
average 1niddle-class opinion was
based on only partial view of the is
sue and still retained some measure
OF the old idea of serfdom with regard
to labor
Boycott and Injunction Defined.
Clearly and forcibly the reverend
speaker defined the boycott primary
and secondary, and the injunction. He
admitted that there might be, and per-
H,1co 1f
ary boycott, against which President
Taft cried out SO Justify when he was
on the bench, but contended that such
abuses, even the worst Of them, were
less evil in effect than to cut away the
secondary boycott entirely would be.
He asserted that, in his opinion, pro-
ceedtngs by injunction were often nee
essary, as the ordinary processes of
law cannot prevent or compensate for
some injuries to persons and property
but claimed that they ought to be linn
tied in operation and have their scope
definitely fixed and determined. As
exercised at present by some of our
courts, the injunction power is verv
elastic and gives to individual judges
all the force of despotism. In this con-
nection he contrasted the attitude OF
Judge Wright in sentencing Messrs
Gempers! Mitchell and Morrison, and
their manly and dign1fed demeano,
and language in receiving the SEN
tences, declaring thaat there was
nothing stronger in the history Of ju-
dfctal proceedings. He also asked
his hearers to keep always in mind
the difference in the application OF
the injunction to questions invo1vina
labor and questions pertaining to 9TH
or interests.
%fA5 Courts Behind tho Age.
= Father Ryan quoted President TAT,
{ to the effect that the whole matter ha.
been settled by the courts. He sale
that by this declaration the presiden,
he'd he'd admitted that it had not been set