Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-25

/ public men anxious to retain offices OF
honor and trust has been found in the
| fact that in several communities il votes
| solidly in blocks Of scores or hundreds
for those who cater to II and against
| those who refuse to bow to its demands:
but l call your attention to the fact
that, besides multitudes In the cities
and towns whose interests are leopard
lied by It's exactions, there are upward
Of zoo, 600 voters in the rural portions Of
his State whose welfare can only be
protected by holding the members of
the labor union to the same non-interfer-
ence with the rights Of others and the
same accountability to law which they
admit as governing themselves. They
win certainly claim that the labor union
men, individually and collectively, are
no better and have no greater rights
than they.
will add that II is no answer at all to
say that labor can not get it's rights
in any other way than by a strike and
| boycott. The courts are as open to the
labor union man as to the farmer. and
| there is not the slightest reason why the
| after should be required to settle his
difference in the States way, which in
lures no third party. and that the labor
union man be left free to damage every
cody else while settling his difference
by a strike,
He, therefore, who would remain in
public life would do well to merit the
approval of those myriads OF law abid-
ing and peace-loving citizens beside
whose numbers the labor unions is a
trifie.
Calls Il Labor Trust"
Finally. on this subject, 1 will observe
that the trend of the laws of the present
day is TO the suppression of comblna
lions, generally styled trusts. organized
for the restraint of trade These trusts
are condemned by law because they
endeavor to force from business all COM
petitors save those in their guild and 20
exact out of the people unduly high
prices for products they handle.
Yet, while II Is a matter OF public note
that the labor trust Is the most wide
spread and aggressively eXacting trust in
America, politicians pander to II. states
men stand in awe Of IL, and the public
seems helpless in its grasp. Why? Be
cause 1t votes in blocks OF thousands in
almost every State in the Union II Is
composed of allied organizations which
stand as one man against all other ele-
ments of society
Recent events have shown that some
OF the leaders of one Of these organiZa-
tons have been sentenced by United
States Court to imprisonment for
crimes or violence against those who
did not yield to their exactions, and the
members have bailed them out and re-
elected them to high offices in the or
ganization Such a development is an
palling to every lover Of law Yet 1t is
an object lesson which tells more Wv
idly than words that the labor union
holds itself as being higher than the
law.
Unions In Minority.
The labor unions have but a small
minority of the people of Georgia, yet
by binations which work through
strikes and kindred methods, they are
aggressiVely levying a toll upon all the
other elements Of our citizenship. In
other words, they have organized
trust and demand that all other people
BUY labor at whatever price they choose
IL
than other wOrkmen in like occupatfOns
receive and higher by far than the peo-
pie have ever paid before. And con-
mporaneously, they are endeavoring
70 force from employment all similar
Workmen who do not join their orders
To attempt, as non-union men, to COM
pete with them as laborers means to be
treated with open contumely attended
sometimes by personal violence. To
hlre non union men means for employ
ers to be boycotted and not infrequent
property.
Equal Opportunity Clicked.
Therefore, as the labor unions have
combined against all other classes in
their determination to defeat the equal
ny OF opportunity assured by the laws
OF the, state the necessity is forced
all other classes to stand together
IN the refusal to cOncede to the unions
The preferential privileges they are en-
oeaVorlng 10 exact for themselves alone.
And as the unions have their pass
words, the password of all other citi-
zens should be: THE Law"
II Is not improper here for me to de-
clare that not all OF the members OF
me Iaoor unions are wilful violators OF
law. A very large percentage Of them
love their State and would not know
ingly do any one an injustice. Yet they
are the victims of a system which is
breeding anarchy which has already
put the States Constitution in con.
tempt. which has relentlesly wronged
hundreds of thousands Of their fellow
cluzens who have not offended them,
WElch, IN plain words, has applied
lynch law methods 10 millions of dol
lars worth of property | pass no harsh
criticism on them, but every person
who reyerences the law must condemn
the reckless disregard of the rights OF
the public which has Characterized
their leaders. And the State must
with unmistakable chearnes. not only
condemn these acts, but must force the
She VIII not suffer SUCH occurrences to
Law Should Protect"
II Is cardinal principle of civiliza-
ton tnat law-abiding people should be
protected in the enjoyments of life.
liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
Inc state does not interfere with her
oroerly citizens in the possession Of
constitution that no one within her
fere
have no more interest in this matter
than has any other average citizen OF
Georgia; but. as her Chief Executive
whose duty to obey her laws bv en-
forcing them is supreme over every
ambition and personal interest, 1 have
noted the recurring instances of open
contempt OF her Constitution, of incoD.
yenience and damage recklesslv in
hlcted upon multitudes of her citizens
by one class, and OF brutal assaults upon
working men who were engaged in obey
ing her laws and serving the people by
operating the public utilities which she
had chartered and whose operation she
had commanded, and l would be nm
worthy of the confidence with which the
electorate has honored me should / fan
10 lay these facts before you and call
upon YOU to enact such statutes as will
force all classes and all individuals 10
equal allegiance TO the State ard equal
obedience TO her laws
Upwards of two millions Of people in
Georgia viii look with no patience upon
the continuance Of a condition which
leaves their basic rights in life at The
mercy Of the star chamber of the labor
union.
Compulsory Arbitration.
Under the conditions I have por
uayed IL has been made the duty OF
the State, therefore, TO protect her citi- |