The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1913-06-25

fees in the organization. Such a de-
yelopment is appalling to every lover
of law. Yet it is an object lesson
which tells more wildly than words
that the labor union holds itself as
being higher than the law.
The labor unions have but small
minority Of the people of Georgia, yeti
nv combinations which work through
strikes and kindred methods, they are
aggressively levying a toll upon an
the other elements of our citizenship
In other words, they have organizedIA
a trust and demand that all other peo1
pie buy labor at whatever price they
choose to put upon it-and that price,
is higher than other Workmen in ike
accunations receive and higher by farl
than the people have ever paid before1
And contemporaneously, they are en1
deayoring to force from employment
all similar workmen who do not JOIN
their orders. To attempt, as non-un-
ion men, to compete with them as Ia
borers means to be treated with open
contumely, attended sometimes by
personal violence. To hire non-un1on
men means for employers to be boycott J
ted and not inffequently to suffer Sc
rious damage to their property.
Therefore, as the labor unions nave
combined against all other classes IN
their determination to defeat the
equality of opportunity assured by the
laws of the state, the necessity Is
forced upon all other classes to STAND
together in the refusal to concede TO
the unions the preferential privileges
they are endeavoring to exact, for
themselves alone. And, as the unions
have their passwords. the password
of all other citizens should be: "Tne
Law"
1t is not improper here for me to
declare that not all of the members
of the labor unions are willful VIOLA
tors of law. A very large percentage
of them love their state and would
not knowingly do any one an 1n]us~
tice. Yet they are the victims OF a
system which is breeding anarchy,
which has already put the states Con-
stitution in contempt, which has re-
lentlessly wroEged hundreds of thou
sands of their fellow citizens, who
have not offended them, which, in
plain words, has applied lynch law
methods to millions of dollars worth
of property. | pass no harsh criticism
on them, but every person who reVer-
ences the law must condemn the
reckless disregard of the rights of the
public which has characterized their
leaders. And the state must, with
unmistakable clearness, not only con-
denim these acts, but must force the
doors of them as clearly to know
that she will not suffer such occur
rences to be repeated.
1t is a cardinal principle of civiliza-
~ IL cbon ho
protected in the enjoyments OF life
liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The state does not interfere with her
orderly citizens in the possession of
these rights, and it is the intent OF
her Constitution that no one within
her borders shall be permitted to so
interfere.
Consequently we must assume that
it is the judgment of vast majority
Of the people of Georgia that the mil.
itary must be used as military when
emergencies demand. The general
assembly, therefore, does not have toll
apologize for making tMs law; and
the governor does not have to apolo-l
gize for ordering it's enforcement. And
the militia does not have to apologizeE
for obeying the order the GOVERNOR
transmitted to it. Each performed a
high duty which the people for their
protection had ordained.
Some of the happenings in Georgia.
during the present year have trendedE
inevitably toward bringing your Con.
stitution into contempt. 1t is for you'll
therefore, to say whether you are go-k
ing to preserve it for law 1t is forE
you to say whether you are going tot
allow one class, with less than 50,000E
members, preferential privileges tot
the detriment and danger of the rel
mainder of the public with upWardsl
of 100000 voters or whother you will
enforce your process against all law
breakers alike 1t is for you to say
whether you will allow barns to be
burned. residences dynamited and peo-
pie driven from their homes, thus de-
stroying property valuations and de-
Driving certain counties of needed la
borers; and whether you will allow
mobs to force sheriffs and jailers, be-
fore the muzzles of guns, to surrender
prisoners in the states custody, who
are then taken out and unlawfully kill
ed 1t is for you to say whether you
will allow the statutes you enact to
be made a mockery or whether all
men in all classes shall obey them
in the same manner. You have the
power to enact laws which will control
every situation l have portrayed.
Yet, | am in the line of duty and
self-respect when l say: Do not make
it the governors duty to enforce a
law and then condemn him for doing
it. Any governor, true to his oath,
will enforce it regardless of condem-
nation. And do not, even by infer
ence, command militiaman, sher-
iff or other agent of the state to inn
peril his life and possibly lose it, to
protect your lives and property and
uphold the dignity of your Constitution
and then fire into his back from the
state house, whence his orders came.
Do not enact laws which you intend
shall not be enforced, or which you
would allow to be tempered with.
There is no middle ground between
law and anarchy.
The people of Georgia are jealous
of their liberties, but they are not
going to suffer their statutes defeated
and their Constitution made CONTEMPT