The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-03-11
CONGRESS REALIZES
union SITUATION
Sure To Notice Distinction Between
Laborers And Farmers Organiza-
lions And Corporate Trusts
LAW SAME AS IN ENGLAND
Law Before Congress Exempting La
Dor Unions From Prosecutions As
Trusts-Known as Bacon Bill

Trusts-Known as Bacon Bill
From Congressman c., H. Tavenner.
Washington March lin the
coming trust legislation one thing
the Democratic party is sure to re-
coginze is the distinction between la
borers' and farmers unions and the
corporation trust. with it's MANY de-
vices of interlocking directorates,
voting trusts, trade agreements, and
direct methods for the control Of
commerce. While the Sherman law
must be strengthened against the
corporation trust, and additional leg
islation must break up the tools of
the Money Trust, labor unions and
farmers organizations and similar
bodies it is being urged, must be for
ever freed from the danger of prose-
cution under laws directed by their
makers at trade monopolies.
OF course, there will be a fearful
clamor raised by the privileged inter-
ests if Congress attempts to make
such exemptions. 1t will be de-
nounced as "class legislation" But
a little analysis removes such legis-
lation of this charge.
There is a vast difference between
an industry monoplized so that few
men can exact extortions from the
rest of the body of citizens, and an
organization of men for self protec-
tion.- One is aggressive, the other
defensive. One is the small coterie
of exploiters; the other is the mass
of the exploited. One organizes to
perpetrate wrongs which on small
err scale send their perpetrators to
prison: the other organizes to pre-
serve or gain rights which are fun
damental-the right of receiving just
wages for work done under condi-
tions by American civilization. The
group of trust formers is so small it
can scarcely he, called a class-it-is
an infinitescimal part of the popula-
ton. The laborers and farmers are
the bulk of the country's population.
Congress already sees this distinc-
tion, although the high-priced law
yers employed by the Industrial in
terests will try to prove that any in
reference with trade whether by
trusts or unions should rank the same
in the eyes of the law. But while
trade interference is the prime pur-
pose in the organization Of trust,
it is an incidental result of the acti-
vities of a labor union.
Congress has recognized the dis
tinction by exemption labor and
farm unions from prosecution un-
der the Sherman law the exemption
having been granted in the last bill
which granted the appropriations for
the Department of Justice. This
measure was signed by the President.
But it is not necessary to rely on
this precedent. Our law is based on
that of England, where after long
struggle, labor a few years sssg sue
ceeded in gaining specific exemption
from obedience to law written to re-
gulate corr binations of capital.
This was the British trades-dis-
putes act of 1906-,a law which en-
bodies in itself a combination of the
anti-injunction legislation and the
exemption from the Sherman law for
which American labor is contending.
Under the British law when two or
more persons combine infurtherance
of trade dispute. they cannot be pro-
secuted for any act done in com[bina-
tion unless such act committed by an
individual Guild be criminal In
other words, combinations of laborers
at all times (for employers in time
of labor troubles) are exempted from
trust or other prosecutions. They
cannot, for instance, be enjoined for
picketing, during a strike. Great
Britain has thus formally recognized
a labor union as a cooperative so
ciety which should not be destroyed
as a menace.
This is clear precedent for Con-
gress to follow in framing the new
trust laws. Congress already has
before it a bill exempting labor
unions from prosecution as trusts.
1t is known as the Bacon-Bartlett
bill