The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1915-09-04

tons OF ethical or economic PROPOSE
tons in legislative, acts or govern
mental proclamations, frequently has |
been resorted to as means of iusti- !
tying action which was, subcon-
sciously perhaps, realized to be UNI
justifable; or of appealing, some
times almost pathetically, to that de- |
cent respect for the opinions of man
kind which led the trainers Of our
of independence to set
forth in studied phrase the causes
which impelled the American Colon
les to separate themselves from the
government Of Great Britain. II
It is therefore natural that the bold
enactment of class legislation, and
the conduct of a government here
tofore declared to be .'of the people,
for: the people and by the people,"
without class distinction, should con-
tain a statement Of the economic
theories relied upon to justify so rad
ical departure. So it is hardly with
feeling of surprise that one reads
the declaration in the so-called ely
ton Act" just passed by Congress, and
approved by the President Gan Act
to Supplement Existing Laws Against
Unlawful Restraints and Monopolies,
and for other Purposes" Approved
October IS, 1910 that the labor Of
human being is not a commodity
or article of commerce." This dogma
is the favorite assumption employed
as a major premise by Mr.. Samuel
Gompers and other advocates, Of
special privileges for organizations
of wage-workers, in their propaganda
for the immunity of such organiza-
tons from any liability for the con-
sequences of acts which they may
employ for the purpose of subjecting
the conduct Of American industry to
regulations adopted by them for their
own benefit, without regard to the
interests of others.
Purpose of Sherman Act.
The Sherman Antitrust Law, and
the anti-monopoly statutes Of the
various states, were enacted for the
purpose of protecting individuals in
the conduct of their business from
the unjust interference Of organized
groups of competitors or others.
Those laws have for their ends the
preservation of that liberty under
law which has been the ideal of the
:English-speaking race for nearly a.
thousand years. They prohibit con-
tracts, combinations and conspirac-
les which unduly restrain the free
dom of trade and commerce, and
they make it crime to monopolize
or to attempt to- monopolfze that
commerce Why? The reason. was
given by Lord Coke in the seven
teenth century. in language which
has furnished the conclusive argu-
ment ever since his time. It is be-
cause such restraints and monopolies
tend to the undue enhancement of
| prices. the deterioration of quality,
and-what is even more serious-'tto
the impoverishment of divers arti-
ficers and others, who before, by the
labor Of their hands in their art or
trade, had maintained themselves
! and their families, who now will of
| necessity be constrained to live in
idleness and beggary.'
It was a profound conviction that
freedom of competition was a better
means of securing the welfare of the
individual, as we'll as the state, than
even qualified restraint or regulated
monopoly, that Led the congress of
the United States to enact the Anti
trust law Of 1890. To ensure it's ef-
fcacy. not only were the courts en-
dowed by that law with equitable
jurisdiction, at the suit of the gov
eminent, to prevent and restrain vio-
lations of the act, and the individuals
who offended against its provisions
subjected to criminal liability; but,
by the seventh section, right of
action to recover treble the damages
sustained by him, was given to any
person who should be injured in his
business or property by, any other
person or corporation ''by reason OF
anything forbidden or declared to be
unlawful by this act" ~
! This provision Of the law was
found effective to secure compensa-
ton to certain hat manufacturers in
Danbury, Connecticut, for the de-
struction of their business by ma
tion-wide combination of hat work
ers, in a. case which has become fam
Gus. and the provisions inthe Clayton
Bill now under consideration have
been framed especially to prevent
any such redress from being obtained
in the future in any similar case.
! =. Peaceful Tactics. =.
The facts of that case as they ap-
pear in the official report are very
simple. A firm Of manufacturers OF
hats became involved in a. dispute
with the representatives Of a. union
Of hat workers. q The firm maintain.
ed an open shop: The hat workers
desired to "unionize"t it. - The firm
refused. The union was one Of many
others united in a national organiza.
ton known as the United Hatters OF
America, which in its turn was at.
fihated with the American Fedora.
ton of Labor. an organization which
directly or indirectly, comprised a
membership Of NEARLY two million.
throughout the United States. The
vast machinery Of this organization
was set to work to destroy the bust.
ness Of the Danbury hat
ers. The methods adopted were ali
''peaceable. Theyt were none the les.
effective. They consisted Ia declar: