The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-05-19
VAN CLEAvE RAPS
LABOR UNIONS
AN Organization That Cannot Live
Without Breaking Laws Should
Die He Declares.


It's stormy relations With skilled ana
unskiil,d labor President James W.
Van Cleave, OF ST. louis. today starr
led the fourteenth anLu.i convention
OF the National Association of Manu-
facturers By sensational attack
upon the methods of the American
Federation of Labor and affiliated Dr-
CARNATIONS. II was the feature OF his
annual report
President Van cleave surveyed IT
considerable length the events or the
past year. he said, in order 70 reveal
the "Adroitnsss. PERSISTENCE and I'M
scrupulousness OF the enemies WITH
whom every employer in the United
States will have 10 deal. and thus give
an indication OF the manner In which
We have To proceed In future In ORDER
10 make our labors count.
But, continued President VEN
Cleave. before 4 go any further. let
me mention that, IN an amicable way.
some of the assoc atoms best friends
have, from TIM 10 time, suggested
that our course on the labor issue was
little too aggressive. They oelIeNed
that conciliation would have accom-
plished more. To everyone OF these
doubters We pointed out the fact tha'
the program which your officers have
pursued was marked out for US ~ the
association.
When principle is involved con
cessions are as wicked as they are
vain.
Some of us representatives OF the
association were compelled To fight or
surrender. Confronted With these al
ternatives. We fought. And. as the
labor union chiefs sorrowfnlly con
Tess. We fought with effect"
Rebuke TO Labor.
Referring 10 the efforts OF labor
leaders To secure the enactment ~
anti-injuncti1n legislation. President
4 Van leave said --
We defeated tIrrtff- TIA Washington
then the cOnspivators massed their
forces IN Chicago aud attempted 90
brighten the Republican national con
venton and its candidates into sane
tioning their un Democratic, antl-Re-
publican and un-American propaganda.
We defeated them there also. As
these plotters then contrived 10 place
their doctrine OF class favors into me
Denver platform, and as they obtain
ed formal endorsement for them from
the Denver candidate. We had no al
Tentative except TO throw our support
10 the Chicago nominee. And We have
excellent reasons for knowing on:
work told decisiveiy in the general =
suit.
With a cunning engendered by
quarter of a century OF duplicity, the
labor leaders transferred their held
10 the state legislatures.
.Eair.minded. public-spirited citizens
will say that an organization which by
the acknowledgment of its own lead
ers cannot live unless IL gets license
/ 10 break laws, deserves 10 die.
II at -r1t,-xfrn- the association rl2at
here that under the cloak OF leglsla-
ton for the defense or the pretended
defense of worHine women and chD
Gren. insidious attempts will undorDs
edly be- made by the politicians or inc
trades unions To get special faVors Tor
their order.
Mr. Van Cleave went or record In
favor OF the amendment providing Tor
tariff board a urged by the senate
finance committee
In conclusion he spoke OF the men
ace he sees In permitting immigrants
ITO fall under he influence OF the
federation which has grown up
amongst us and which sets the de-
( crees OF it's leaders above the laws
I OF the land. He continues.
| I'm the United States at this mos
ment there is an absolutlsm which
violates the orders OF its courts which
denounces its judges and whlcn re-
pudiates and defles the laws and an
thority OF the nation.
! AS | have just pointed out. the
/ United States in 1906 abolished Inc
I indian tribal governments and France
! in 1909 subverted its insurgent civil
I servants Now let me ASK all or you
whai sort of treatment will the Ameri-
, can people in 1910. 1912 or 1913 be
forced TO deal out TO the rebellious
| American Federation Of Labor?
! rhe report of the committee on in
| terstate commerce assumed almost the
form of railroad epic-denouncing
the legislative regulation OF common
carriers, the S29.00C,000 fine imposed
upon the Standard Oil company by
Judge Lands as a mere outburst OF
acute judicial frenzy. and winding up
with complimentary chapter refer
ring to the justice OF the interstate
commerce COMMISSION III titiuiiiliHtti-
Ing the Hepburn law. lnstancing one
Injustice that is still inflicted upon
lhe railroads the report says:
We must enter protest. II the
shippers are taxed in order hat the
posto.fice department may show a
small deficit in operation
The report further dem2nds modi-
fcat!on OF the sherman antitrust law
so far as IL applies to railroad CON-
panies and refers 10 the construction
Of sucn a formidable array OF battle
ships AZ Merely mad excitement OF
military spirit--Otir only danger being
the dream OF an Cyer-neated fancy
and we find our national perplexities
more moral tha. economical"
The report urges the construction Of
the lakes 10 the gulf canal, an Interior
still waterway between Massachusetts
end the Carolinas. @
FINALLY the committee deplores the
destruction OF natural forests and esti-
mates that the present rate OF lumber
irg Will directly deplete our supply
and indirectly destroy many water
WAYS within eight years.
Drrnncrprn.c EDrENn CTATN