Evening journal., 1914-06-29
DEM0CRACY AND LABOR EXEMPTION.

bEMVthAt1 AND IABUR EAEMpIfON.
KAy lDESPREAD criticism has greeted the action
wv Of the Democrats In Congress ii granting d
organized labor and agricultural organizations inn
munity from prosecution under the sherman Anti
Trust law Nor is that criticism partisan in any
sense It comes from thoughtful and far-sceng men
Of all political parties Commenting upon President
Wilson's responsibility in the matter the Washington
Post says editorialy
The President viii have before him the sundry
ciyl BILL which again contains provision eNempting
al labor and agricultural organizations from prosecu-
non @uoh uhuer the sherman law inc exemption is sweep
ing ~ shown by The following phraseology:
THAT no part Of this money shall be spent in the
prosecution oi any organization or individual for
tering into any combination or agreement having in
view the increasing Of wages shortening Of hours or
peteFng the conditions Of labor or for any act done
IN furheranee thereof, not in itself unlawful"
IN other words. the President will be called upon to
give MS Official approval to the economic theory that
workngmen and farmers may form themselves into
organizations, combining one organization with an
other, to control the labor market, and using such
control to force higher wages and shorter hours nm
der threats of strike boycott
In the enactment Of additional legislation to nut the
screws more tightly on business who might enter
into agreements to prevent free and unlimited COM
petition the theory is that the consumer must be
tected against combinations designed to regulate prices
or output The protection Of the consumer is the nn-
DERIVING thought Of the proposed legislation against
the business men.
It cannot be disputed that the high standard or
wages which prevails in the United States as COM
se e prices 70 tne consumer Certainly more than
half of all the money spent IN the United States goes
- Is perfectly natural that the laborine men
should organize for their protection. II is per-
fecty right that they should desire high wages The
people Of the entire country believe in high wages and
want to see the present standards maintained
Tile grave question that the President must decide
however Is whether this is to exempt one
class OF citizens from the operation hamperinR laws
while shackling the OF another class If aborng
men with their complete power to paralyze the rail-
roads, all public utilities, and private factories are to
be left free to protect themselves business men should
also be left to protect themselves
fhe laboring men and the business will work
out their own salvation under the existing laws
let Tree from further restrictive legislation What
the President must decide, however Is whether fish
is to be made OF one and fowl OF tho other.
President Wilson, no doubt, recognizes the danger
GUS position he occupies in this highly important mat
ter IT. by any chance, he should veto such discrim-
natory legislation organized labor the country over
VIII rear itself against him On the other hand if he
approves the labor exemption bills. American bust
ness organized and unorganized will resent II keenly
and resort TO retaliation. Even Presidents worst
enemy cannot fail to have feeling OF sympathy for a
man who places himself in such a position
man who wins whose "eyes speak vol