The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-07
UNION men AND EMPLOYERS
LINE UP IN BATTLE ARRAY
FOR and AGAINST BOYCOTT
Continued from Page 40


mark:
We'll. there's no doubt about the
sympathies of this audience"
Mr.. Reid opened by declaring that
through the modern use of injunctions
| in labor disputes, the courts have
come to believe and maintain that I'M
ion labor is always guilty until it
proves itself innocent.
I'VE are adjudged guilty in adj
vance, said Mr.. Reid; 1.-The court as
sumes that we are going to do some
thing wicked before we do it, and
the right of judge, court, jury, coun-
sci and everything else and finds us
guilty in advance"
Mr.. Reid then went on to sketch
the tactics used by drunnmers in try
ing to get business from their ri
walls.
''They tell lies enough to sink a bat
tleship,' he declared. but that's not
conspiracy that's business. On the
other hand, if the trades unionists tell
nothing but the truth-that's con-
spiracy; they're dangerous fellows;
they must go to Jail. Why, the laws
of this state actually place premium
on lying. A good liar is good fell
low, and the man who tells the truth
must go to Jail.
Here we have some decent en-
plOyers left--and there are q few
them, by the way, we have forced to
be decent-who would resent the idea
that they are dishonest. These are
now coming before this committee
seeking to destroy trades unionism
and to bring about the conditions that
exist in Russia.
"Some of the Hartford employers
would do well in Russia. There the
labor unions are crushed; they can
no longer fight peaceful battles. There
instead Of striking they blow a mans
head Off The knife and the bomb
are the only weapons they have left.
They come to this country, expecting
to find an Eldorado, and they dis
cover the same eternal grind. We
have to teach them that the f1rebrand
and the knife won't do here. And
now the manufacturers are coming
here en- masse, seeking to drive off
the face of the earth the very organi-
peace.
do this and you will bring about
your own destruction. You will force
the men to fight in the only manner
in which they can fight. Go on to
your railroad station-take your night
sticks-club your workingnen and
helpless girls-and then come here
with clean hands and plead to have
labor unions abolished. If people
knew of the conditions that exist
right here they would rise up in
horror We are not asking for class
legislation. The employer today has
the rights that we are demanding.
They are using the blacklist in Hart
ford today, to strike through to the
third and fourth generation of those
that incur the hatred of the Hart
ford bosses. They are boycotting the
union label Your committee is not
afraid to give the employers the leg
islation they desire. We are not as
good looking as they; we do not live
in the same fine houses; we do not
wear clothes cut in Paris; but we are
human the same as they are, and we
are living under the constitution of
the United States which guarantees
us the same rights
Mr.. Reid concluded his speech in a
storm of applause. Then followed
John Hogan of Meriden. third vice
president OF the State Federation Of
Labor: Timothy A. Flanagan of
Bridgeport, representing Charles Dona-
hue, President of the State Federation
of Labor, who was unable to be pres
ent. through illness, and Sol Son
theimer, President of the Hartford
Central Labor union.
All these men made strong pleas
for Senate Bill "a. All the union men
present at the hearing were united on
this bill and made vigorous pleas for
it's enactment, and all the employers
present later opposed it with equal
vigor.
"All that we are asking, said Mr..
Flanagan, els the same right tomor-
row as we have today 1t is all right
for me to picket now, and I am do
ing it every day; why can't I do it
tomorrow? But if there is a labor
dispute in progress, then it instantly
becomes Illegal
Sol Sontheimer of the Hartford Cen
Ia no thoI
can citizens have become circumscrib-
can citizens haveb ecome circumscrib-
ed and abridged by the decisions of
the courts until there now remains
under the present Interpretation of the
law but vestige of the rights guar
anteed under the constitution
Charles w. Gross, who appeared as
attorney for the Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION, introduced c. H. Merritt and
d. E. Loewe. two non-union hat man
ufacturers of that city, to open the
opposition.
position to Senate Bill 81, and sat
down. Mr.. Loewe. not so fortunate,
was hotly assailed by questions
II regard myself as a living exam
pie OF the perniciOus working of the
boycott" declared Mr.. Loewe, who has
Just. won $25O,OO0 suit against the
United Ratters. and who has placed
200 homes in Danbury under attach
nent to satisfy his verdict which was
Won because Of a boycott against his
goods in the State of California
II never had any trouble" said Mr..
Loewe, until the vicious hand OF the
labor leader made its appearance and
disrupted my business. Why should
you pass ,aW permitting union men
to break their contracts? These men
who appeared for this bill may be sin
cere. but it does not. work out that
way
Representative German OF Danbury
a member of the committee, jumped
to his feet
Have you placed 200 homes in Dan
bury under attachment to satisfy your
verdict?'' he asked
II have" replied Mr.. Loewe
"Do you believe that those men
whose bones you have attached had
ANYTHING to do with the boycott of
which you complaint
Mr. Loewe hesitated
do you think that those men whom
you have made to suffer had anything
to do with the boycott?" insisted Mr..
German.
"Weli, 1 pleaded with them not to
allow the boycott said Mr.. Loewe.
But did they bring about the boy
cott?" demanded Representative Cor
man.
Eyes, they did. land you are one of
them!" snapped Mr.. Loewe.
Did the innocent third party suffer
in this case?" asked William Apple
gate of New Haven