The labor world., 1917-04-14
WILLIAM E. McEWEN, Publisher.
A BAD FEATURE OF A GOOD BILL

The state senate struck needed blow at Grim
inal syndcalism this week. which is defined in the
bill as 'the doctrine which advocates crime, sabot-
age violence or other unlawful methods of terror
ism as means of accomplishing industrial poll
tical ends" Sabotage is defined in the bill mali
cious damage or injury to the property of an en-
ployer by an employee.
Surely all law abiding workingmen and others
can endorse this feature Of the proposed law. No
trade unonist at least justly oppose it. If this
the law in Pennsylvania when the Standard Oil
company formed the trust makers of the time
might have been sent to JAIL for to gain their in
dustrial ends" property of independents was twill
fully and malciously' destroyed that is if we are
to believe Ida Talbot and others who long ago spoke
by the board.
The Labor World subscribes to the bill in every
respect but one. 1t goes step too far and no men,
ber OF the senate was keen enOugh'to recognize this
fact but Senator Richard Jones Of Duluth who as
a union labor man has attended many labor meet
ings who will attend many more, and who does not
wish to be held responsible for the fool criminal
speeches OF wild and reckless speakers.
In their zeal to strike at unlawfulness prac-
ticed by the socaed direct actionists'' the franz
their meetings, and would hold them equally re-
sponsble with the wilfu wrong doers thereat. Pres
ence at a meeting where criminal syndicalism or
sabotage is advocated is intended to bring every
nocent person in attendance under the provisions of
the act This is going too far and the fact that the
bill contains such provision justified Senator Jones
In opposing the whole It is better that SO
guilty shall go free than that one innocent man
shall suffer-
1t is the duty of the house to modify the bill and
pass it. We have attended any number of labor
meetings during life, and we have at all times
endeavored to keep within the bounds of the law
and reason; expect to always do so; we expect
to be responsible for acts but we seriously
object to provision Of law that will hold US re-
sponsible for the statements Of others.
What is there to prevent scheming employers
from sending professional strkebreakers, private
detectives other paid hirengs into peaceful labor
meetings for the purpose Of melting workingmen to
resort to syndicaism sabotage, and for no other
reason than to involve law abiding labor leaders
under this proposed law? Such things have been
done in the past, and we have no assurance that
they will not be done in the future It sometimes
pays, you know, to get good men out of the way
by one ruse another. All that is needed to COM
pete the conspiracy is a subtle court with it's kan
garoo methods, and Minnesota is not without this
kind.
The real friends Of labor in the house will strike
out the dangerous provision in the bill and pass it
as an honest measure in proper form. Do this and
there will be plenty of teeth left in it to strike at
every advocate of syndicalism and sabotage as de-
fined In the act, and of every member Of an organ
lzatlon committed to such unlawful methods
Senator Jones is to be commended for his courage
in standing out against this dangerous feature in
an otherwise good bill-McE.