The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-06-11
smothering Of Bills Affecting
Workers Interests in Congress
sional Pigeonholes, Brings
About Crystallizing of senti-
ment Against Administration
Tactics. .

WASHINGTON. D. c.. June 10
Fifty representatives, Democrats ana
i,surgents, and the president, secret
ary and legislative committee OF ;he
American Federation OF Labor, held
a conference this week lasting until
midnight in the Arlington hotel. Their
intent to force congress to take from
the pigeonholes of it's committees
those bills most vital to the interests
OF the working class was freely
voiced before the end of the meeting,
and a practical plan of action was
agreed upon.
Proof that this meeting represented
the backbone Of the Democratic and
insurgent bodies in the house was
made plain by the presence of such
men as Champ Clark, the minority
leader, and John NJ. Nelson, the Sec
retary of the insurgents. Both of
these men took active part In the
proceedings and from their sugges-
tions the conference formulated a
plan for mass action to break down
the bar which stops all consideration
of labor bills, namely, the speaker
and the rules.
bush. II came to congress" said the
Wisconsin insurgent, Ito fight for
mans rights and not property
rights"
Exposing the skeleton in the family
closet he told a1ef Republican con-
aressmen who freely acknowledged
that their business as chairmen Of
committees was to "sit on labor leg
islation."
Representative Henry of Texas,
Champ Clarks right hand man on
the judiciary committee, pledged his
aid to force action upon Representa-
tive Wilson's bill Ito regulate the
issuance of restraining orders and
injunctions and to limit the meaning
of conspiracy.
1t was Wilson's bill attacking the
labor-throttling injunction that was
finally chosen as the rallying point.
Drawn up by the former interna-
tional secretary Of the United Mine
Workers of America. whose years Of
experience in battling injunctions has
made him unyielding in his deter
mination to amend it or end it,"
Representative Wilson's bill sets
AO1 III l1db IAO d6A CCAACAk DCI"C0A
two or more persons concerning the
terms or conditions Of employment,
or the assumption or creation or ter
7:.:nation of any relation between en-
plcyer and employe, or, concerning
any act or thing to be done or not
to be done with reference to or in
volving or growing out of labor dis
pute, shall constitute a conspiracy or
other civil or criminal offense, or be
punished or prosecuted, or damages
recovered upon as such. unless the
at or thing agreed to be done or
not to be done would be unlawful if
done by a single individually
President Gompers made clear the
immediate interests Of organized Ia
Dor in an address to the conferees,
t:si' history of the Bucks Stove
and Range case, which has resulted
in Jail sentences being imposed
against himself, Frank Morrison and
John Mitchell. He also gave a.
graphic account of the Danbury hat
ters' case and the terrible plight Of
the members Of this labor orsaniza-
tlon who have been ordered by the
felcral courts to pay $222,000 dam
ages and costs of litigation.
"Ocgs nized labor cannot live un-
der the rule of a personal govern.
ment and the prohibition of associa-
tiOn,' said Gompers.