The Washington times., 1910-02-26
GONPERS WARNS
Of LABOR MOVE
Says Moon Anti-Injunction
Measure Is Worse Than
No Legislation.
CONFERENCE HELD
WITH WICKERSHAM
Prosecution of United States Steel
Corporation TO Be
Asked.

That organized labor in the United
States may be driven TO action that is
neither constructive nor conservative II
labor is 70 be outlawed and crushed out
of existence by UufavOTabIe legislation.
is the opinion OF Samuel Gompers. pres
ident Of the American Federation Of
Labor.
Just what labor proposes to do in its
resentment Of the passage of unsatis-
factory laws regarding its interests. or
Just how far IL would go in at attempt
10 bring about a remedy. Mr. Gompers
today would not venture a suggestion.
he said he was no prophet.
The matter VIII be referred to the eN-
ecutive council and what course for Ia
Dor 10 follow in the future Will be de-
Cided by IL. He said IL is certain that
whatever position Is taken Will be a
strong and effective one.
Offers Bitter Protest.
That the labor men throughout the
country viii resent the failure of Con-
gress 10 modify the injunction law, was
told Attorney General WiCkersham by
Mr.. Gompcrs yesterday afternoon
The labor leader of1ered bitter pro-
test gaiust the Moon antI-injunCtOn
Committee OF the House, declaring this
bill would give labor no relief
He said II would. in fact, be worse
than no legislation, rs the position taken
by Mr.. GOmpers and his associates.
Mr.. GOmpers says the passage of the
bill would give statutory authority for
inJunctiOns, whereas, now there Is no
statutory authority, as IL Is the aSSump-
ticn of jurisdiction by the courts. He
.ntimates labor may be driven to action
that viii not be constructive
Views on Bill.
President Gompers points out. and so
told Attorney General Wickcrsham. that
the Moon bill simply provides for notice
and hearing before issue or an injunc-
ton, but that this does not reach to
the evils complained OF
In the case of the Bucks Stove and
Range Company, said ne, I'VE had
notice and hearing. but that did not IN
terfere with Justice Gould issuing that
mOuStrOuS injunction which even the
Court OF Appeals OF the District modI-
fed"
With Mr Gompers ar the conference
with Attorney General WickcrSham
were Secretary Frank Morrison, of the
A r. of l.. A. +. Holder, legislative
committeeman; Frank S. Mounett, for
ner attorney general Of Ohio; and +. G.
Ballard, of Gary, Ind.
Hatters Case Considered.
The attention Of the Attorney General
also was called to the status OF the
labor organizations I'm view of the Su-
premc Court decision I'm the hatters'
case, under which the voluntary organi-
ZatiOns are brought under the Sher-
man law and through which the hat
ters of COunectiCutt are required 10 pay
damages In the sum Of SOD GO.
In an interview after the conference,
Mr.. EOmperS said.
Nv sought 10 interest the Attorney
General m the matter Of legislation so
that the labor organizations might az
least have the same rights as are ac-
corded the labor organizations Of the
British empire.
The Taft-Vale decision of the courts
OF Great Britain which mulcted the
railway employees organization i'm a bIG.
sum was wiped out by the British Par
lament IN the enactment OF the trades
dispute act Of 1896. That is all the
rights we ask under the law.
we presented 20 him the fact that
the relations between employer and en-
ploye, buyer and seller, are personal
relations and are regulated by statute.
that these relations can not be properly
rights unless the concept is held that
there is a vested right by the employer
IN the labor OF wOrkmcD.
Status of Labor.
I'VE presented 10 him the fact that
labor. after all. may be termed an ah-
straction and is usually the short ex-
preston used in place Of the words la
Dor power, and that labor power is not
and can not he a commodity owned bv
anybody I'm the sense of owning anv
material thing, that &c is not a pos
session but an attribute of and can not
he property unless the man or woman
who is a lahoTeT is prODcrtv
The entire subject i'm an its aspects
was presented TO the Attorney General
and discussed by us with a view 81 se-
curing such legislation AS viii afford
the full and free opportunity Of the
workers Of tho United States to protect
and promote their rights and interests
6 workers. that the American labor
movement Is constructive I'm character
based upon American ideas and Amcri-
can ideals. that IF our conservative Ia
Dor movement is made ineffective. it
may be crushed out Of existence but Il
VIII then make way for some other
movement scarcely so conservative.
No Assurances Given.
Tho Attorney General made no prom
ises or assurances, whatever. The Moon
bill was the only bill we discussed, but
the principles Of legislation in rega I'd
10 the Sherman antitrust law as well
as the abuse Of the injunction process
were discussed. The steel inycstipa ion
matter viii be presented 10 him short
~ Mr.. Monnett is assisting us in that
matter.
Mr.. Wickcrsham asked me whether
the Moon hill was not i'm exact com
fOrmity with the plank i'm The Repub-
ilcau party platform of the last cam
paisn. 1 answered that that is very
ukely. but ] did not regard the declara-
tfcn Of the Republican party platform
on .hat subject as fetish 10 which
abor wants 10 bow down any more now
than IL did at that time 1t is a decla-
ration OF a pTO-ujunCtiou rather than
the anti-injunction regulating tnC
abuses.
ANYTHING which the members OF the
labor Or ganiZaticnS may TOW do for tho
purpose of protecting the rights Of IN,
workers which may injure the en-
Iloyer the employer may now proceed
under the terms Of the law as inter
preted by the United States Supreme
Court, and if they can establish this
fact that they have been damaged th6
recovery can he had in three fold dam
ages, and the men can be proceeded
against fined SJ00) and sent TO prison
for one year.