Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-11-04
INFERENCE OF
uNFAIRNEss TO LABOR
Bill Not for Prosecution OF Criminal
Corporations and Trusts, But for En-
forcemsnt Of Anti Trust aws-Con-
sidered Amendments an Insult to Or
sanixsd Labor.

to the Times Repu blican, relative TO his
vote on the Hughes amendment, which
has been used against hin in the cam
paign on the inferred ground that he
was unfair to organized labor.
Mr.. Good sets forth his position in
regard TO his vote very clearly, and
shows that the provisions Of the sun
dr. civil appropriation bill were not
made for the prosecution OF criminal
corporations and trusts. as the circu-
lar issued against him implies, but
rather were as the bill states, Tor the
enforcement Of the antitrust laws as
applied TO the individual and cocpo-
ration alike; TO the laborer as we'll as
the capitalist. Mr.. Good considered this
impu,ation an insult 10 homes. labor
and 20 organized labor, 10 infer that the
Ia porer or organized labor wanted any
exe;n ptio!i from prosecution Il criminal
statutes had been violated.
Mr.. Good also calls attention TO the
fact that the amendment was without
merit because there can not be any
prosecution Tor acts not in themselves
unlawful a referred 20 in the bill. and
furthermore that in twenty years OPP
Grafton u me SuSi!lIG!l ali 81 ~ 0sS 40 +"
there has never been a penny expended
10 prosecute organized labor.
Nr. Goods communication is as FOL-
.ows:
Editor Times Republican My at
,ention has been called 10 a circular
giving my vote OF the so-calleo
Hughes amendment. From this circu-
lar il might be inferred that I was UNI
fair % labor. This circular states:
The house of representatives had
before il the sundry civil appropriation
bill which contained an appropriation
Of 500, 900 for the prosecution Of crimi-
nal corporations and trusts. when Con-
gresham Hughes OF New Jersey Offer
ed the following amendments:
"'Provided further, that no part OF
this money shall be spent in the prose-
cution OF any organization or individ-
ia! for entering into any combination
or agreement having in view the in
creastng OF wages. shortening OF hours.
or lettering the conditions OF labor. or
for any act done IN furtherance there
Of not In itself unlawful
y voted against the amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Hughes. 1t is very diff
cult TO understand wha; was meant by
the amendment. The appropriation of
soc 600 was not made for the prose-
cution of criminal corporations and
trusts as was stated in the circular.
but was. a. stated in the bill, for the
enforcement, Of the antitrust laws and
acts 20 regulate mmerce and applied
TO the individual as we'll as the corpo-
ration, 10 ,he capitalist and laborer
alike
The officers OF ne government can
/ 0< i,eu Sn
pria.ed to prosecute anyone for the
commission of an act not In Itself I'M
lawful If the act commit,ed is not an
unlawful act, then the appropriation
can not be used u prosecute the per-
son who has committed some offense
not prohibited by such law. 1t is ele-
mentary that appropriations OF this
kind can not be used to prosecute any,
one where the law has not been vio-
Ia ted. and no law has been violated
where the act complained Of is not in
itself unlawful
But assuming that it was intended
by the mover Of this amendment 20 ex-
empt labor organizations from prosecu-
ton where they had violated the pro-
visions Of the Sherman antitrust law,
and the acts to regulate commerce.
which is the only fair assumption that
can be gathered from the amendment,
the words not in itself unlawful are
but more surplusage. 1t ought to be
plain that this amendment should not
be incorporated in the laws of the
United States. It's effect would be to
nact class legislation. This amend
ment would set up in this country two
distinct classes, one OF which could
violate the antitrust laws and acts to
regulate commerce with impunity and
go Scot-free, whereas Il another class
violated the same law, they could be
confined in the penitentiary.
Labor has made its demands on the
theory that it is honest and law-abiding.
That it wanted the laws OF the country
enforced with the same rigor, and by
the infiiction OF the same penalties,
eainst the rich as against the poor.
That it simply wanted a square deal.
It ought to occur to one that such
provision would give it more than q
square deal. and l believe in the end,
IL such provision was enacted into
law that the laboring man would be
the first man to feel the evil effects Of
such measure.
The Sherman antitrust law has
been on the statute books for twenty
penny expended to prosecute organized
!abo. under this law Why then, write
an exemption into the statute books OF
the United States exempting labor or
CARNATIONS II they violate the Sher-
man antitrust law or any OF the stat
utes Of the United States.
| "a careful study Of this amendment
must impress one with the fact that
| it is wholly without merit. In the first
place there has never been any pro-
secution OF labor organizations by the
government for the violation Of this
law. Secondly, there can be no: prose
cution Of an act not in itself unlaW-
full Thirdly, the national government
had, at the time this bill was being
considered. and now has, in the neigh.
borhood Of s3,ooo,o 900 available for the
prosecution Of the offenders Of any OF
the civil or criminal statutes OF the
United States. any part or all of which
can be used to prosecute labor organi-