The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-03-09
MR.. TATES LETTER,
"Messrs. ]. A. Scandlyn,
w. T. Harris, and
F. B. Thompson, Committee.
Knoxville, Tenn.

W. - AAull1o, ctIu
F. B. Thompson, Committee
Knoxville, Tenn.
Gentlemen:
Il am in receipt of your com
munication of the 18th inst. ask,
ing me as a candidate in the
Republican Primary to express
my attitude, views and feelings
toward organized labor and t.
answer with particular refer.
ence to some matters set out in
your communication.
Il take pleasure in replying
and | hope that you will SEE
that my answer is not evasivt
but that | clearly and SQUARED,
reply along the lines of informa
ten desired.
l. AS to my attitude towarc
organized labor-I say unhesi
tatlngly that | believe that labo,
has a perfect right morally, as
well as legally to organize. CAPT
tai has been organized for many
years, and has been able
through such organization, tt
accomplish results that could
not have been accomplished
otherwise. Labor should be, and
is, given the same right, and
any person in any trade desir'
ing to join labor organization
i'm that trade should be per-
mitted to do so; his joining such
an organization should not in
the slightest be held against
him, and his right so to join
if necessary should be protected
by clear and positive law.
2. AS to the injunctive pro-
cess-I am glad to say unquali-
fiedly that believe the issu-
ance of injuncti0ns should be
resorted to just as sparingly
and reluctantly as is possible
under existing laws. 1t would
be my honest endeavor If nom
mated and elected Chancellor to
obey, cOnstrue and uphold every
law of our State that may come
before me for construction, and
where a complainant is able to
make a showing that some right
of person or property would be
damaged or lost unless an in
junction were issued, then only,
as I understand it, would | be
compelled as Chancellor to grant
an injunction. Wherever the law
would leave it to my discretion,
it would be my disposition al
ways to give notice to the OPP
posite side, and if, unfortunate
iy, the exceptional case should
arise where the law would COM
pei me to issue a temporary or
preliminary injunction without
such notice, it would be my
purpose Immediately to afford
speedy hearing when both par
ties could be represented by
counsel at which it might be
determined whether such in
junction had to remain in force
or be dissolved. / am not afraid
to say that / do not believe in
government by injunction and
while | recognize, under the law,
that this remedy has it's rare
proper use, / should honestly
endeavor to see to it that, al
ways under the law, injunctive
process should be used, and not
abused, in my court.
8. AS to frivolous prosecution
of members of union labor
Prosecutions, of course, could
never be brought in the Chan
Gerry Court, and hence | could
never have anything to do, one
way or the other, with such
prosecutions, but that you may
see | want to answer every one
of your questions, | unhesitat-
ingly say that l denounce any
tendency that might ever exist
tfrivolously to prosecute mem
bers of labor organizations. If
such a thing we're undertaken,
while, as judge of the Chancery
Court, | would have nothing
whatever to do with il, as a
public spirited citizen I would
be glad unhesitatingly to oppose
and denOunce it.
4. AS to intimidation or dis
eliminating against members of
organized labor by armed of
ficers and guards, or, for that
matter, by anybody else 81
am glad to say that the very
xuo,,dc Observation-Disclosures, I uIs.