Denver labor bulletin., 1916-07-15
A. F. of L. Representative Dissects
NelU Industrial LaU of Colorado

| have to leave town. They telegraphed
| to their international president. He
telegraphed them not to leave. They re-
mained, and We're arrested.
The Fool and the Ass.
During my soiourn in Columbus, Ohio,
not more than month ago, l witnessed
remarkable scene near the Jeffrey Iron
Works, located on the outskirts of the
city, and which employs some three or
four hundred workmen. At noon, on
corner, on a side street, block and a
half from this plant, organizers at
tempted to addres the workers. This
was a block and half away from the
property of their employers. Five men
were sent. As fast as one man began
to talk he was arrested and taken to
| jail, until the entire five were similarly
treated. That order OF things has con-
tinued. Now, the chances are that the
mayor of Columbus and the chief of po-
lice think their scheme is better than
the scheme in this state-it is quicker.
But why are they afraid of these
strikes? Why so much said against the
strike? The employees don't cause all the
strikes. As a matter of fact l never
saw fellow yet that wanted to strike.
recall this sentence from Herbert Cas-
son: The fellow who likes to strike is
fool; the fellow who wont strike Is
an ass" Why all this concern about
strikes? Speaking in the light of the
history OF our labor movement, are they
going to deprive us of the only effective
weapon we have and then render us JUS
tice? No!
How about this public they talk about
What is this mysterious, invisible pub
| lie? This mysterious, invisible public Is
usually composed of those who stand
behind the cashiers desks in our banks
or behind the counters in our counting
rooms. While labor is having its tussle
to defend its rights, they hold up their
hands in horror and demand that the
public be protected, but these same gen
tlemen who are so anxious that the pub
lie be protected have usually got their
hands down deep in the public's pockets
robbing them.
This law, in my judgment, is only
| feeler. 1t has been put on the books by
a hostile legislature as a shock absorber
for some more vicious legislation in the
future. In the history of governments
| there never has been time when a ty-
rant has attempted to take away all the
rights of all the people at once; but they
have taken away some of the rights OF
some of the people, and have continued
until the people were in such an op-
pressed state that they could not rebel.
Helping" the Working People.
The Russell Sage Foundation, organ
lied for the purpose of course-as its
active spirits claim-of "helping" the
working people, you find, right now, in
the city of Springfield, ILL.,, that that
organization, after conducting a called
Survey" into the conditions surrounding
the working people, have concluded that
the proper method of procedure is to
have the state create commission" 1t
does not definitely state whether all the
rights of the working people are to be
presumably, when the opportune moment
comes, that will be the scheme.
By the way, did you notice the other
day that the courts of this state de-
clared that the Utilities Commission is
beyond the reach of any court-that it
is absolute and supreme? Now, suppose
the courts should render the same de-
cision concerning the Industrial Commits
sion law and make that Commission abb
solute and supreme? Then, ! suppose,
for making this talk I might be put in
jail for lese majestic; for the law pro-
vides, in section twenty, that the mem
bers of this commission, or men depu-
tized by them. have the right TO invade
y
watch over your deliberations. And yet
the commissioner to whom / have re-
ferred presents this scheme as n new
solution" of the industrial problems OF
this country. By law they can invade
my union meeting. your union meet
-depriving the workers of the guar
antee of the right of free assembly, free
press and free speech.
I think it is the most monstrous law
law ever put upon statute book in the
United States, and aimed to destroy not
only the labor organizations of the state
of Colorado, but of every other state of
this United States.
Meaning of "Cooling" Period.
What does a thirty-day cooling Off
period mean? 1t means this: When the
governor of this state directed that no
men should be shipped into the strike
bound coal fields for a certain perioo,
there was not moment lost by the coal
companies in securing the entire country
for men. After a sufficient number of
; strikebreakers had been gathered, the
order was rescinded, and the men then
poured into the coal camps from every
point of the compass. And yet this
commissioner emphasizes a cooling Off
period.
In another part of the address of the
representative of the Colorado Industrial
Commission, | find this
81 believe the great majority of labor
ing men in Colorado have come TO see
clearly the great advantage this law
brings. There are some individual labor
leaders who have not yet indorsed the
law nor the principles behind it. Some
of them are in a mood to be convinced
but have not accepted it, fearing that il
is some new and strange contriVance de
signed by the selfish power of capitalists
! IN dastrov la bor"