Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-11-04
WELCOME CLAYTON ACT
, THAT PROTECTS UNIONS
TOO LATE, HOWEVER, TO
SAVE CONNECTICUT VIC
TINS OF SHERMAN Law
LABOR WRITER DRAW
PATHETIC PICTURE OF OLD
LKS AND CHILDREN
TORN FROM HOMES THAT
COST LIFE SAVINGS
By GEORGE P. WEST

How about the Danbury Hatters' case ~
The query is shouted at Candidate Hughes
at every campaign meeting where working
men and women are gathered. II is shouted
lat the women Of the millionaire Hughes
campaign special. II is heard wherever the
issues are discussed.
Well, how about the Danbury Hatters'
ea-ef What Is the case7 What lies back
Of these, shouted queries that Mr.. Hughes
t'ok SO long to answer?
Up in Danbury, Connecticut, where 5000
skilled workmen make hats for all the world,
they need no answer from Mr.. Hughes. The
answer Is there before them In living form
-nore than one hundred families. 500 men,
:; women and children, oppressed by the knowl-
edge that every night may be the last under
the roofs Of the little homes representing
the fruits OF twenty. thirty. or forty years
OF toll thrift and sacrifice.
: This is to tell others a little of what Dam
bury already knows. II Is a story Of the
i law and OF austere judges, on the one hand
against men and women and children on the
| other-the story Of law that, until Prcsi.
, dent Wilson signed the Clayton act. had
ruined working men, while II sent Standard
Oil and Tobacco stocks soaring.
! Story Of Tragedy
II Is a stor, full of tragedy--the tragedy
. OF an humble, simple folk whose declining
days are overshadowed by fear and anxiety.
II is the story, too, Of men and women who
do not whine. who have been game to the
VI
at the beginning, that their cause Is the
cause OF right and that judges are moi
infalible.
It Is not one story, but hundred. There
Is the case OF the widow with seven ch.l-
dren, her husband dead and savinrs zone.
F, who scrubbed floors 10 provide for her fam
lily. There Is the story Of Benedict, the
straieht-laced old New Highlander OF Revolt.
tionary descent driven to his grave by
anxiety and bewildered questioning over the
fnn had EnIf Ia
thrifty. old man, into law-breaker, pur-
sued by deputy sherifrs and heekled by writs
OF attachment.
There is Michael Hurd. who has lived all
his ifty-six years in the house on Shelter
Rock avenue, now about to he taken from
him. And tftie Is Mrs. Hurd, sweet-faced.
gray-haired woman who came to the house
as a bride. and whose children were born
, and grew up within it's walls.
Thirty-two of the thirty.four hat manu-.
/ iacturers Of Danhury employ only union men.
The biggest and most successful Of them
ha testified that they would not employ
any lthers If they had the choice. Wages
were high: work was steady, and the hum |
lest worker was protected against the un.
fair or bullying foreman by the agreements |
to which owner and workmen subscribed.
Loewe Enemy to Union
Only D. e. Loewe and one or two Others
among the hat makers denied their men the |
right tc organize and to send their agents
to talk It over with the boss" when things
went wrong. Mr. Loewe was one Of the 'od |
refused 10 work with his men through trade
agreements hut he spread the gospel Of op-
position and discor5 among others.
OF in Nav York. the national oficers Of
the Hatters Union. after trying In vain TO
extend the organizations benefits to tho
Loewe employees. decided on the only course
open to the union. The irnmenora security
Of the hatters' organization In Danbury.
1aas. IL s.ssN t~la
workmen's guilds of Revolutionary times,
was threatened. The national officers began
to circularze their fellow unioDsts through
out the country calling attention TO the fail.
the union label, and asking union members
not 10 buy Ioewe hats or patfonlsa stores
that acted as Loewc agents
Entered ssio.co6 Suit
Urged by national association Of employ.
ers bitterly opposed TO collective bargaining,
Mr.. Leowe began suit In the Federal Court
Of Connecticut for $4,000 damages, on the
theory that the Hatters' Union had violated
the Sherman act. This was the law drafted
and passed by Congress, TO strike at great
combinations like Standard Oil that were
draining the peoples pocket books and crush,
ing competition through every means known
TO unserupulous, ruthless buccaneers of com.
merce
sThe Loewe attorneys went into court on
the claim that the union hatters, in refusing
TO patronize Loewe and his agents. had
entered into "conspiincy In restraint of
trade" They charged that the Loewe busi.
ness had been damaged TO the extent Of
$4,000, They demanded three times this
sum as punishment or vengeance, and they
got IT, With interest and lawyers fees the
judgment stands today at s305. .0Oe.
Thus was raised the first big issue Of this
famous case /
Have working meL the right to urge their ,
brother workngmen ana their friends not /
n natr N prfo /.
In their judgment and belief Is hostile and
disastrous 10 their interests aud righia1 /
Issue No. raises AN even more remark.
able question. For Mr.. Loewe was not con.
tent TO wipe out the treasury Of the Hat I
.ers' Union. with It's limited funds set nside
for pensions and sick benefits. He and his I
allies were determined TO terrify and dis. i
courage every union man. not only in DAN I