The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1910-04-28
RULINGS
Of the Courts Ally Organ
lied Labor and Farm
ers of Country.
Adverse Decisions Will
Unite Them on Both In
dustrial and Political
Field--Sentirnent Grow
ing Rapidly.

Inc conviction under the Sherman an
THRUST law of II members of the Farm
ers S Society of Equity, in Covinpton,
KY, has brought forth from Representa-.
tive Cantrill, of that state, Il call for mi
TED action by the farmers unions and
labor organizations of the United States.
II this decision of the court is final
ly upheld said CantriIl, "then every
farmers organization and every labor
organization is doomed forever.
The decision of the case of the Dan.
bury hatters and this against members of
farmers union in Kentucky are all
sirhliar IN their attack upon the right of
American labor to organize
1t is the purpose of Representative
Cantrill to attend the meeting of farm
ers unions, officers of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, and REPRESENTATIVES
from the railroad brotherhoods, which
takes place in ST. Louis from Nav . to
;, and urge such united political action
as the crisis demands
The case of the United States gov.
eminent against the American Tobacco
Company pointed out Cantrir, ..has
been pending in the courts Tor over a
year and only last week the supreme
court announced that the. case must be
again argued, which means that the de-
clsion will be postponed indefinitely.
About SIX weeks ago II Grant coun-
ty farmers were indicted in Covington,
Ky, and last Saturday they were con-
vIcted and fined from 500 to 81 200
each. Their crime consisted i'll asking
one OF their brother farmers to withdraw
has tobacco from the market and hold it
III his possession for higher price and
until his ncighbors could sell with him.
Inc supreme court OF the United
States deems the American Tobacco
Company cases of such Importance to Or
der another hearing upon 1t, while an
other United States court indicts, tries,
and conVIcts eight American farmers in
SIX weeks, and, according to newspaper
reports, the jury spent one hour in ar
rlvlng at a conclusion. Every american
iarmer will be forced to ask him.,.. tho
question: Is the gold OF the trust wor-
thy OF more consideration than the nber-
ty and property of the American farm
eri'
The Sherman antitrust law, under
"hlch these farmers were convicted, has
been on the statute books for 20 wears
Livery great trust in the country has been
formed, has fattencd and oppressed the
people, during these 20 years, while the
law was taking it's Rip Van Wrinkle Sleep
but as soon as the farmers of the coun-
try began to organize to secure Il reason
| able price for their products, the sleep.
ing law awakes and proceeds to crush out
the farmers while the great captains of
the trusts complaeently and unscathed
proceed to plumber the people and add to
their millions.
In my Judgment this decision of the
court is the hardest blow ever directed
against the farmers of the nation
- If the farmer is to be fined and iail-
| ed for attempting to organize, then the
Sherman antitrust law must be appealed
or amended so as to protect him in his
| inherent rights, else he will be doomed
to absolute slavery and scrfdom, as every.
line of business with which the farmer
must deal is organized.
1.-The American farmer should know
that this prosecution comes directly from
the department of justice, presided over
| by a member of the President 3 cabinet
Assistants in the department of Justice
assisted in the prosecution of these Grant
county farmers
Representative Cantrill asserted that
aGe Ellis had made the campaign
against the farmers i'll Kentucky. the
same Wade Ellis, who is the state chair
man of the Ohio Republicans anu Il close
friend of PRESIDENT Taft
In bill now pending before the judi
ciary committee of the house. Represent
alive Cantrill provides for the legal right
OF the farmers TO organize to obtain a
reasonable price for their products. and
for the wage worker to organize to OBJ
/ tain a blp rriro 1,l,