The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-18
HUNTER SAYS
WORKERS BILLS
ARE DEFEATED
Does Not Lament However,
Socialist Candidate For Gov
ernOr Addresses Farmers
Committee
fspeciaI from united PressD

Hartford, April 1s.-The Farmers
Association. today. heard Robert
Hunter. labor's candidate for COVER
nor In the last campaign, on work
mems compensation and trades dis
iputes acts. He said. in part:
This year the law makers Of the
etate have had the opportunity Of
knowing what the workers want. Last
January, in Bridgeport. the Trade
Cnionists and Socialists came togeth-
er in conference. They represented
the workers of that city and they de-
manded the passage of two bills by
provided for workmens compensa-
tion. That means that whenever
working men are injured or killed
they shall receive damages. 1t means
the workers without any court bat
ties 1t means that widows and or
phans shall not be forced into the
poor house after yielding up their
bread winners in the service of the
country 1t means that men who
have lost eyes, arms, legs and health
81 the service of capital shall not be
thrown on the scrap heap and con-
oemned to vasrancy and pauperism.
The workers also demanded the
passage Of a trades disputes act. That
means they asked for the legal right
90 strike, to picket and to boycott.
The present conspiracy law of this
state is perhaps the most effective
Rnti-strike. anti-picket and ant1-boy-
colt law in existence. Indeed that
law l. so framed that judges can en-
soin labor leaders from speaking,
writing. or exercising any other of
their constitutional rights as Ameri-
can citizens. And that means that
trade unions are outlawed. Little
strikes here and there may be won,
but no big strike will ever succeed SO
long as the present law of conspiracy
remains unchanged.
AT each hearing on the bills at
Hartford we have seen two classes
errayed- The manufacturers, bound
together in their Association, and the
workers. bound together in their As
eociation- And there in the capitol ut
Hartford the battle ragged. The man
iIfacturers called in their great legal
fights to whom they pay great fees.
5'hey used all their power and inf1u-
ence over the committee. Their lob
byIsts. attorneys and great captains
bore down upon the two political ma
chimes and left no stone unturned 20
may be defeated. 1t is indeed more
than likely the bills will be defeated
! might even say the bills are sure to
be defeated.
And / do not lament We have
worked earnestly to pass these bills;
fhe day they are defeated. And you
may ask why. and 1 will answer you
In these words. If the present bills
demanded by the workers of this state
nre defeated it will do more to awak-
Pr the workers than anything has yet
done. They have demanded certain
things from their supposed represen-
tatives. And they have heretofore be-
-feved that when their supposed rep
fesentatives knew what they wanted
those representatives would not turn
R deaf ear. II the present Legisla-
trre. therefore, ignores the demands
Of the workers, and gives nothing. or
something totally inadequate, the re-
suit will be to teach the workers the
hest lesson of their lives.
Il think / am not exaggerating at
all when / say that this year marks
an epoch in the history of the work.
ers Of this state. 1t means that the
day of enlightenment has come and
that hereafter you will realize as new
CT before that the rich and powerful
corporations of this state own the old
political machines, own your supposed
representatives in Hartford, and that
you must begin now to build up your
own party and to send your own men
20 Hartford"