Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-06
DYNAM|TERS ARE
DEFENDED BY
GOMPERS
RapS Judge Anderson, Saying
Their Crimes Are Result of
Government by Injunction.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-GoVeInment
by dynamite, if it ever becomes a real
ity. will be the direct result of govern
ment by injunction, according to Presi-
dent Samuel Gompers of the American
Federation of Labor. who today APP
peared before the senate judiciary COM
mittee to defend the Clayton anti-in-
junction bill and incidentally to COM
ment on the decision whereby 33 struc-
tural iron workers were convicted of
shipping dynamite for unlawful pur-
poses. He assailed the craftsmanship of
the judge in indianapolis who convicted
the dynamiters and argued that even
if they were guilty they had justifica-
ton in the long oppression which they
had suffered at the hands of manufac-
turers.
In commenting upon the bill before
your committee, l would call attention
to the case, concluded in its first stage
at least, in which men of a great labor
organization were found guilty of ship
ping dynamite through the states. 1
find it necessary to meet the charge
and the insinuations which have been
II bi iNb ct VI SilllEtu lrtDOl oAilNt NilAN
case began.
1T is easy to explain. condemn and
pity, but it is hard to understand.
wish this committee to consider these
men, pilloried by public opinion and the
Judge, guilty of a great crime against
society.
Manufacturers Methods.
Il wish the committee also to consid-
er that in spite of the grating, con
scienceless tyranny of those men who
employ, there are men in society who
would have every member Of the iron
workers union cast out
For six years all Offices of organized
society have been used against these
men. through organized business inter
ests brought together to destroy the or
gantzation of labor. You say these men
use elemental and brutal methods.
Were the manufacturers less brutal in
the methods toward their employees?
The judge who sentenced these IN
ion men declared that government by
injunction is better than government
by dynamite. The worthy Judge. in his
blindness, refused to see the truth and
the unWarranted character of his re
marks shows how far afield he went to
take another slap at organized labor.
Assuming for the sake of argument that
these men We're guilty Of the crime OF
which they We're charged, is it not evil
| dent that government by dynamite is
the result of government by Injunction
Defense To Be Expected"
These monster corporations en-
gagged in death grinding tactics have
forced the union men To use some
method of defense. And who would ex-
pect that in the face of such an attack
some method Of defense would not
be resorted to-"
President Gompers then read a reso-
luton adopted by the United States
Steel Corporation. in which that COM
pany declared itself opposed to the ex-
tension Of organized, labor.
Gompers attacked Detective William
j. Burns and challenged him to pro-
duee any evidence to support his asser-
ton that his trails i'm the dynamiting
conspiracy led to the Federation of La
Dor. Gompers also criticised John Kfr-
by, Jr., president Of the National Man
ufacturers association, for his attempt
to connect the men under sentence for
contempt Of court in Washington with
those convicted of dynamiting in Los
Angeles and Of conspiracy in Indian
apolis.