The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1910-01-05

Some people swell up on emotion"
brewed from absolute untruth.
It's an old trick of the leaders of the
Labor Trust to twist facts and make
the sympathetic ones" weep at the
ice house." Chats part of the tale
further on.)
Gompers ct al sneer at, spit upon
and defy our courts, seeking sympathy
by falsely telling the people the courts
were trying to deprive them of free
speech and free press.
Men can speak freely and print opin-
ions freely in this country and no
court will object, but they cannot be
allowed to print matter as part Of a
criminal conspiracy to injure and ruin
other citizens.
Gompers and his trust associates
started out to ruin the Bucks Stove
Co., drive its hundreds of workmen
out of work and destroy the value of
the plant without regard to the fact
that hard earned money of men who
worked, had been invested there.
The conspirators were told by the
courts to stop these vicious trust"
methods. efforts to break the firm
that won't come under trust rule), but
instead of stopping they dare" the
courts to punish them and demand
new laws to protect them in such de-
structive and tyrannical acts as they
may desire to do. The reason
Gompers and his band persisted in try
ing to ruin the Bucks Stove Works
was because the stove company insist
ed on the right to keep some old en-
ployees at work when de union" or
dered them discharged and some of
de gang" put on.
Now let us reverse the conditions
and have a look.
Suppose the company had ordered
the union to dismiss certain men from
their union. and, the demand being re-
fused, should institute q boycott
against that union. publish its name
in an unfair list" instruct other man.
ufacturers all over the United States
not to buy the labor of that union,
have committees call at stores and
threaten to boycott If the merchants
sold anything made by that union.
Picket the factories where members
work and slug them on the way home.
blow up their houses and wreck the
works, and even murder q few men,
bers Of the boycotted union to teach
them they must obey the orders Of
organized Capital?"
It would certainly be fair for the
company to do these things If lawful
for the Labor Trust to do them.
In such a case, under our laws the
boycotted union could apply to our
courts and the courts would order
the company to cease boycotting and
trying to ruin these union men. Sup
pose thereupon the company should
sheer at the court and In open defiance
continue the unlawful acts in q per-
sistent, carefully laid out plan, pur-
posely intended to ruin the union
and force its members into poverty
What a howl would go up from the
union demanding that the courts pro-
tect them and punish their law-break-
ing oppressors. Then they would
praise the courts and 60 on earning
living protected from ruin and happy
in the knowledge that the peoples
courts could defend them.
How could any of US receive protec-
ton from law-breakcrs unless the courts
have power to, and do punish such
men?
The court 10 placed in position where
Il must do one thing or the other
punish men who persist in defying its
peace orders or 90 out Of service, let
anarchy reign, and the more powerful
destroy the weaker.
Peaceful citizens sustain the courts
as their defenders, whereas thieves.
forgers, burglars, crooks of all kinds
and violent members of labor unions,
hate them and threaten violence If
their members are punished for break
ing the law. They want the courts to
let them 60 free and at the same time
demand punishment for other men "out-
side de union" when they break the
law. Notice the above refer
ence to violent members of labor
unions. The great majority Of the
"unheard'' union men are peAceable.