Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1915-08-26
Ed aaetliiIs 3 81

gfenlE the ddsstisss 81 StlpettoE Hser
as in the case of water tights IN Cali
fornia, and provision for forfeiture in
case OF actual non-use.. InEits simplest
form the doctrine of superior use
implies merely that at. the time Of
making the ease the purpose for
which the lal4t will be used must be
taken into consideration, and the use
which is of greatest social value shall
be given preference.
20. The forcing Of all unused land
into use by making the tax on non
productive the same as on productive
land OF the same kind, and exempting
all improvements.
The unemployed have aptly been
called the shifting sands beneath the
State Surely there is no condition
which more Immediately. demands the
attention of Congress than that Of un.
employment, which is annually driy-
n hundreds of thousands OF other
Sc productive citizens into poverty
nd bitter despair, sapping the very
)asis OF our national efficiency, and
5erinating the seeds of revolution"
Denial Of stgkice. Y
Under the head ~Ienial of Justice,
found to be the thti0 principal cause
Of unrest, the report cites numerous
typical instances tospr6EsI the follow
ing charges: a..
First, with regard to the enactment
of laws, it is charged that the work
ers have been unable to secure legis-
lation to protect them against griev
GUS wrongs except after exhaustins
cd.
and against insidious Influences.
Second, it is charged that aftel
wholesome and necessary laws ar
.4>assed, they are IN large part multi
ned w. the courts upon technicahties
III character which would not be
held to invalidate fegislation favor
able to the interests Of manufactur-
ers, merchants, bankers, and Other
property owners, or thrown out on the
broad ground Of unc0hstitutionaAty
through strained or illogical construc-
ton of constitution provisions.
Third, that in the administration of
law, both common and statute, there
is discrimination BY the. courts
against the poor ana in favor of the
wealthy and powerful, and that this
discrimination arises not only from
| the economic disabilities of the poor,
1 but also out fthe actual bias on the
part of the judges in favor of the
wealthy and influential
Fourth, that courts have not only
neglected or refused to protect work
ers in the rights guarantee by the
constitution or the United States, and
of the several states, but that sections
of the constitution framed primarily
TO protect human rights have been
perverted to protect property rights
only, and to deprive workers Of the
protection of rights secured to them
by statutes. 20 es
Fifth, that the. ordinary legal ma
chinery rovides no adequate means
whereby laborers and other poor men
can secure redress for wrongs inflict
Z ed upon them through the nonlpay
men of wages, through over-charges
at company stores, through exorbit
ant hospital and otherFfees, fines and
deductions, through fraud on the par
OF private employment Offices, loar
through the grating" of foremen
ana superintendent. The losses t.
wage earners from these sources are
stated to amount each year to mil
lions Of dollars and to work untold
hardship on class of men who can
III afford to lose even q penny. of theil
hard won earnings.
Sixth that the courts, by the un
warranted extension of their powers
in the issuance of injunctions, have
mot only previously injured the work
iers individually and collectively, upon
| innumerable occasions, but have also
by the contempt procedure consequent
upon disobedience to such injunctions,
deprived the workers Of the right,
Fundamental to Anglo Saxon institu-
tons, to be tried by jury.
Sevsnth, that laws designed for the
protection of labor in workshops
mines and on railroads are not eff.
fectively enforced except in q few
states.
Eighth, that cases involving in
dustrial questions the workers are
/ liabl eto great injustice by reason Of
the fact that In many localities they
are excluded from juries either by
the qualifications prescribed Casually
payment Of property taxi or by the
method of selection.
Ninth, that during strikes, innocent
men are in many cases arrested with
( out just cause, charged with fictitious
crimes, held under excessive bail. and
treated frequently with unexampled
brutality for the purpose Of injurinG
/ the strikers and breaking the strike.
Tenth, that In many localities dur
| ing strikes not only is one Of the great
est functions Of the state, that OF
policing, turned virtually over to en-
ployers or arrogantly assumed by
them, but criminals employed by de-
tective agencies and strike breaking
agencies arefclothed by the process Of
ydeputization, with arbitrary power
and relieved Of criminal liability for
their acts. -.
Eleventh, that during strikes in
many localities the entire system Of
civil government is suspended and
there is set up in its place military
Il = = N. 80