The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1914-05-01
PROTESTS AGAINST WRONG

American Federation of Labor De-
mands That VioIators of the Law,
Whether Union Men or Not, 30 Pun.
ished and Pay tho Penalty.
The organized labor movement Is q
protest against wrong and injustice II
seeks to secure freedom and justice
That Is the reason ii now demands la.
bors amendment to the Sherman anti
trust act That act was passed by con.
gress In 1890 for the purpose Of check.
ing combinations among capitalists
formed for the purpose of controlling
the supply and price of articles of trade
and commerce. The trainers Of that
law did not intend that the law should
apply to labor organizations and farm.
organizations formed not for profit, but
for human betterment. should be classi.
fed as illegal combinations In restraint
Of trade. The National Association OF
Manufacturers and all like combina.
tions OF employers who are hostile to
organization among the workers and
yet who themselves organize for the
purpose OF destroying organizations OF
labor and OF farmers persistently as
sert that those who favor the Bartlett
and Bacon bills desire TO establish q
special class OF evildoers.
The organized labor movement as ex.
pressed by the American Federation OF
Labor Is an ardent advocate Of law
and order. 1t yields first place to none
in Its loyalty and patriotism In uphold
ing institutions and agencies for pro
noting and insuring peace, justice and
freedom by permanent normal agen.
cies. 1t is just as vigorous In its eff
forts to secure the enforcement Of all
law as is any other organization In this
country. 1t challenges comparison OF
Its record with that OF any other organ
tzation. 1t has ever stood for the righ,
and the good.
The officials Of the American FEEDER
alton Of Labor have iterated and re.
iterated that violators OF the law,
whether they be union men or not
should be punished and compelled to
pay the penalty. The American FEEDER
alton OF Labor demands that IL work
ingmen are guilty of crimes and Illegal
acts, those deeds shall be punished ac-
cording to the laws provided to apply
to such cases. No one need fear that
the misdeeds Of the toilers will not be
protests against the perversion OF law
to apply to acts of totally different ma
ture from those which the law was
enacted to cover. Organized labor pro
tests against direct action" by the
judiciary as emphatically as 1t does
against direct action" by all other
members OF society.
The American Federnt ton Of Labor
has never asked special favors. but ii
does demand just application Of the
laws and equal opportunity for all to
receive justice.
The American Federation of Labor
Ia more interested In the enforcement
OF law than many Of those who prate
loudly about the enforcement Of law
Its opponents understand and demand
enforcement of law to protect property
rights only. They have no conception
OF human rights-rights necessary for
human welfare, aye, even for the pro-
lection Of human life. The organized
labor movement demands that law
shall recognize these human rights
enforcement OF law shall be mindful OF
human interests.
II the opponents OF the Bartlett
Bacon bills were even honest with
themselves they would concede tha
the anti-t trust act was intended to dea
only with commodities and not with
labor and its activities In securinf
equitable conditions between employer
and employee. They would all concede
an even Walter Gordon Merritt hat
been forced to concede, that a Law
which applies to the sale and distribu
ton Of products should not necessarily
apply to the relation Of employer ant
employee and that there Is a difference
between a human being and bushe
of coal.
The labor organizations do not wan
any special privileges. On the con
trary. they have and do now vehement
ly protest against the granting of spe
cial privileges to any class of society
They have done more than any othel
social force to secure equality OF op
portunity and freedom for ALL All th,
labor unions want is the right to worl
out their destiny under laws that pro
mote and assure human rights. Fur
thermore, they feel keenly and resen
the injustice Of the courts In placing
them In the same class with organiza
tions which have been held by th
courts to be illegal combinations.
They declare 1t unjust to consider la
bor unions as organizations identica
with such organizations as the Stand
ard OIL. steel and tobacco trusts. Th,
managers of these latter combination
control millions of wealth, while th,
members of labor organizations only
insist that the law give them the righ
10 own themselves and their iabo
power.
London Times Unlonixsd.