The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-09-02
LABOR BETRAYED
Congress Killed Amendment to
Law In Its Favor.
HARD BLOW TO WORKERS.

The Retention of the Proviso Wouls
Have Prevented the Criminal Prose
eution Of Workers Under the Sher
man Anti trust Law.
The executive council Of the Ameri
can Federation Of Labor, which wa!
In session in Washington during thu
closing days of congress, received
with indignation the information thai
the house had yielded its amendment
to the sundry civil bill against the
use of the special appropriation for the
prosecution of the organizations OF
labor under the Sherman anti-trust
law.
"A betrayal of the rights and inter
ests of the workers of the country
is the way the executive council char
acterized the action Of the house in
resembling its former instructions to
its conferees to oppose the stand OF
the senate against the labor clause.
In an official statement the executive
council called attention to the fact that
the department of justice was respon'
sible for the indictment Of seventy-fve
workmen in New Orleans a few years
ago under the charge Of violating the
Sherman act when they gave their
support to fellow workers on strike.
The same law was recently used. says
the statement. to convict a number Of
union farmers in Kentucky for COM
bining to get decent prices for their
products.
After referring to the Danbury hat
case and to the damage suit which
has just been started against a num-
Der Of sympat hizers Of the recent New
York shirt waist strike. the statement
concludes: 1.-The retention Of the house
proviso in the sundry civil appropria-
ton bill would not only have prevent
ed the criminal prosecution Of work
men engaged in the normal activities
to protect and promote their rights
and interests. but 1t would also be de-
claratory In character, tending to-
ward solution which now practically
outlaws the associated effort Of the
workers in defense Of their personal
rights and interests"
The reactionary part played by Pres
ident Taft in forcing the regulars to
line up against the house proviso
which had been introduced by Repre-
sentative Hughes of New Jersey Is
described in glowing terms by the ad-
Here is the Washington Posts story.
showing the animus of the president
and the prejudice of the paper against
labor unions:
president Taft yesterday ordered
the house Republicans into a finish
fight on the troublesome little issue
raised by the labor amendment to the
sundry civil bill. and worked with
might and main himself until he saw
them win.
las the result of stiffening influence
literally applied at the White House.
the representatives. by vote of 1873 to
100. receded from their action in de-
claring the labor unions immune from
the operation Of the fund authorized
to prosecute attractions Of the Sher-
man antitrust law. and Joined the
senate in its view that punishment
under this law should extend to full
legal lengths and include. If necessary.
conspiracies in the nature Of boycotts
to increase wages. shorten hours or
better conditions Of labor"
, When the amendment came up on
the floor Congressman Tawney and
Hughes clashed and led the opposing
forces. On the vote by which the
house rejected the Hughes amend
ment, twenty-one Republicans, most of
them recognized insurgents, voted with
the Democrats in favor Of the labor
proviso. A good many Republicans
and Democrats "ducked" the vote and
fed to the corridors.
Representative Hughes (Democrat)
Of New Jersey. author Of the provision
eSempting labor unions from prqsecu-
ton under the Sherman antitrust law,
has since issued statement CRITICS
ing the presidents attitude in the mat
ter. Mr.. Hughes said in part:
UNFORTUNATELY for the laboring peo-
pie Of this country. President Taft en-
tirely miscouceived the purpose Of my
amendment. II was not, as he stated,
b proposition to legaiize u boycott, but
to protect working people from prose-
cution for doing innocent acts in CON-
bination: In other words. to enable
them to strike for higher wages even
though engaged in interstate CON-
merce or In the production Of COM
modify that Is the subject of interstate
Commerce.
''rhe president says In his letter to
w. s. Carter Of the locomotive firemen
and enginemen that he Is against class
legislation on this subject. but on Jan.
T. 1909. he sent special message to
congress IN which he urged it to enact
legislation which would permit corpor.
atoms to carry on their business de-
spite the Sherman antitrust law. In
the eleven pages Of that message
which he used to discuss the legisla
ton desired he does not make a single
reference to labor unions"