The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-05-04
Corporation Hounds
Kidnap Their Prey

any person of lie, liberty or prop
erty without due process OF law, no
deny to any person within it's juris
idiction the equal protection of tn,
laws"
The great mass of citizens of oul
country are arriving at the conclu
sion that the enforcement, disre-
gard or technical administration o
law is largely determined by tht
strata of society in which the ac
cuscd moves Some years ago the
state of Texas indicted the Stand
ard Oil Company for violation of it.
antitrust statute, and d requsitiol
was made upon the Governor of New
York for John d. Rockefeller tc
4, answer the charge before the courts
of that state. No difficulty was en-
pericnced by Mr.. Rockefeller ir
evadinS the process.
Scarcely a column has been print
ed relating to the lynchins of twc
Italians III Tampa. Fla, by a com
mittee composed OF business mcE
| This same business mems committee
| also raided tho labor balls of that
city, wantonly destroyed the furni-
ture and. bandit like. secured the
cash in the money drawer and spent
it among the mem bers of the invad-
ing committee.
The Manufacturers Association of
, Los Angeles and the Ercctors' AS
! sociation have been prominently de-
Ignatei as the prime movers in
planning the present sensation. The
Los Angeles organization is too we'll
known for commet. But the Erec-
tors Association then there comes
another story. 1t is alleged to be a
subsidiary concern or closely allied
with the American Bridge Company,
and the latter company is supposed
to be Il part of United States Steel.
Tile American Bridge Company is the
concern that. through Deacon
Hiram Moe and Senator Conger. de-
bauched the New York Legislature
to secure lucrative contracts. The
| confessions of the Deacon and
Conger revealed the character of the
American Bridge Company.
Just behind us. March 90, the ter
rible tragedy of the Triangle Waist
Company occurred. To the idol of
dollars were sacrificed 141 lives.
Harris and Blancl>, the manufacture
ers. had been informed of the dan
ger, but needed it not. The catas-
trOphe came, but these colonelS of
inhumanity We're not even arrested.
In their avarice for more gold an
other factory was opened and. upon
inspection. found to be equally as
bad Il fire trap as their former place
| of business. But they are still do
| ing business.
| The accused iron workers hnVe
! been charged with the crime of hav-
| ing destroyed the Times Building
and the lives of twenty-one people.
| Months after the tragedy. with a
grOteSque and sensational setting.
arrests have been made. and the col
| unlns of the press have been bulgine g
| with assertions of what is to follow
With the evident intent and studied
purpose of intlaming the public mind
to the point where the reprehensiDl
acts of detectives and their allies may
be lost sight of.
No good citizen. be he Il member OF
a labor organization or not, desires
crime to go unpunished If the mcr
charged with this terrible catastrophe
be proven guilty then punishme ent
should be inflicted.
To the minds Of labor men cN
pcricnced in the struggle for tho
right there is a conspiracy inter
m Unable in its qualifications. anc
more dangerous than is general,
of in fluence has rapidly and protein
TALLY increased in the past half de
, cade. and in this land of dollars th'
captains of industry realize that TIL
men Of labor are becoming an eve
increasing force for the amelioratiol
of all forms of abuses against hu
manity. With the steady advance o
this humanizng influence aSree'
and avarice must recede and NOR
Equitable relations esta bliShed. Or
ganized abor is injured to hard
ship. the Justice of its creed is un
questionable and its HouraGte un
daunted. The men of labor protes
that special innovations be inaugu
rated in an effort to cast odium upo
. it. but it is willing and ever read
to meet in the open every antagC
nists. with hope and faith firmly in
. bedded that Justice will eventual
prevail.
hen the father dies under car
italism. the mother is punished wit
: hard labor for life for the crime {
: having children. or else societ
breaks up the home and sends tn
, children to asylu ms or as servants i
other bones. Fine moral situation
, isn't it?