The labor world., 1914-02-14
|G0MPERS EXPLAINS
| ANTITRUST DEMAND
ICompletely Unhorses Col. Har-
vey, Defender Of Privilege
By Force Of Logic.
LABOR DOES NOT SEEK
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES
Real Differences Between Organ
| izations For Profit and Trade
Unions Of Laborers.
with banter. satire and logic Pres

With oantof, Sat1fe anu IoB1C FFes"
kdent Gompers. Of the A. F. Of L.,
makes answer complete In the Febru-
.rv issue OF The American Fedora
Zionist to Col. Harvey. Of the North
American Review, who charges that
tbe exemption Of labor unions and
farmers' organizations. in the sundry
civil appropriations law. guarantees
[imunity to both from either civil or
|criminal liability from every federal
flaw upon the statute books"
The law referred to provides that
sno moneys In that appropriation shall
fbe used to prosecute these organiza-
Etions for entering into any combina-
Etion or agreement having In view
the increasing Of wages. the shorten
ling OF hours, or betterlng the condi-
ztions OF labor. or for any act done in
Ifurtherance thereof, not In itself un-
lawful This law was passed last
wear, and in answer to Col. Harvey's
Elatter-day protests, President Com
pers says in part:
- Fallen Upon Evil Days
col. Harvey has fallen upon evil
4 days. Like jeremiah Of old he would
rouse the erring people by his lament.
That lament may be purchased in the
January issue of the North American
Review. His chivalric soul Is sore
Troubled by imminent per1ls to the in
#terests'
|nized as the champion of those who
wish to exploit the working people
and to coin their necessity into prof.
Its. Now the redoubtable Colonel sees
a cloud upon the horizon Of the In
terests' The cloud that is
distracting Col. Harvey is the demand
Of human workers that the govern
ment shall free them from all class
restrichons and relieve them from
prosecution for acts in pursuance OF
organizations. not In themselves un-
t1sSpf1l go
asy61pfoSS t6at laws are enacted
Epfohibating speculation or monopoly.
say In the staple foodstuffs OF the peo-
PIE, will it be held that such laws
apply to the cooks or bakers in theft
1 capacity as such, workers? Only when
cooks and bakers enter the field OF
4 controlling and monopolizing pro-
ducts, foodstuffs. can their actions be
classified with those actions inhibited
by the law. Laws enacted should ap-
ply 70 all the people. but only those
who do the things inhibited should
be held to be guilty as violators OF
law. =
Gotta Quit KtcI<in' Our Dawg.
In other words, the organized
workers demand that when they are
trying to secure fairer wages, working
conditions, and hours that will con-
serve. human life. the government
shall keep its hands off unless the
workers do that for which any, other
citizen would be punished. and thus
give the workers the same rights tc
i impose the same obligations that are
given to and placed upon all Other
citizens. Labor organizations demand
the right to existence. which logically
includes the right to necessary law
full activities.
I'VE submit to any fair-minded per
son of ordinary intelligence as te
whether there is anything in tha
provision that could be sanely con
strued as substantiating Col. Harvey.
Interpretation
words cannot more clearly o.
forcefully state that the purpose o.
the proviso Is to remove the organ
lied workers from prosecution simply
and purely because they are organized
workers and to secure them equalit,
C0nffMme6 nm Pare 4