The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-10-31
WAGE FARMERS AND
THE JUDICIARY
CONTINUED from Page Nine.)

(COntinued from Page Nine.)
tual status # our people tolerate legal
obstacles to it's enforcement here. If
organizers Of the proletariat, preach
ing doctrines SubVersive Of its gov
eminent, can hold meetings every
where in the German empire, it ought
to be made a certainty that our trade
union organizers, teaching principles
strictly in accordance with the on
stitutiOn n the laws Of thfs country.
could not be ordered out Of Pennsyl-
vania Or West Virginia mining or iron
manufacturing districts by sheriffs or
constables. If laws limiting the hours
Of labor for women are held to be con-
stitutional in one State, it ought to be
taken for granted-though it cannot
that similar laws Should be conStitu-
tional in other States. Now, on all
the points thus brought under our
observation. the demand arises for the
establishment of foundation principles
in the statutes, to be consistently OBJ
served and uniformly administered by
the public officials. Who can rightly
blame labor for decrying the defects
OF the laws that fail to extend to it
the protection given in other coun-
tries? Is there any reasonable basis
for wonder that labor entertains pro-
jects Of itself directly influencing the
law through it's votes?
Labor is not listening to the voice
of anarchy. It Would replace the pres
ent anarchy by stabi laws. For bet
ter or worse, it would have the ques-
tons affecting labor which will not
| down, and which have baff1ed our leg
i%slatureS and our courts, answered
definitely, one way or another, for or
against labor's convictions.
The bench in America has been the
last institution to awaken to the
| greatest of all modern problems. To
| Indicate how the attitude of the
courts with respect to this problem is
regarded by the leaders Of a most
| conservative movement. this excerpt
from an editorial in The Survey"
may aid:
saThose who feel that they have a
grievance against the courts be-
| cause of their attitude on social and
economic questions may choose among
| several lines Of action. One is to edu-
date the Judges on the particular
questions in which they are interested.
Another is to seek. through the recall
and similar means, to keep the courts
III harmony with public sentiment.
Still another is to remove from the
courts the power to interpret statutes
and to determine their constitutional
| ity. leaving the former function to
some administrative department., and
the latter. as in England, to the leg
islature."
When consideration Of sue sentl-
| ments and such propositions is seri-
| ous1v given in a magazine of .ofe-
most standing in the circles whose
| first aim is to systematic and give
| the highest efficiency to the phiian-
| thropic impulses of the community,
| rather than to economic readjustment.
| il serves to show that intelligent op,n-
| ion among those intimately acquainted
| with needs affecting the deprived
classes is, not that fault is to lie
found with organized labor. but that
general disappointment has been
| caused through the backWarcneSs,
| and in prominent cases. perVerslty OF
the courts
1t can never be overlooked by iaDor
| that the struggle in which 1t IS en-
| gagged to obtain a full exercise Of its
rights is one running through the ayes
and vet but in part completed. Every
step of it's progress has been dispute
by power intrenched, not only in priv
| ilege but in the law, as pronounced
by the courts. Almost invariably
Judges have personified the dominant
| social force Of the time. In this coun-
try. the hope is not in vain. the final
| power is to be in its educated masses,
enlightened as to common rights,
faithful to bread conceptions Of jus
tjce with Iaw-making sufficiently plia-
/, bile to advance with progressive social
and economic conditions, and with
| courts and the people IN mutual con-
fidence.