The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1919-07-03
REVERSAL BY STRIKE

REVERSAL BY STRIKE
The sound sense of Secretary of Labor
Wilson's address before the American
Federation of Labor convention at Allan
tic City is refreshing. Practically to be
commeded is his advice concerning the
proposed Fourth of July strike in the in
terest of Mooney convicted of murder in
California, Mr. Wilson puts it mildly
when he said in effect that such dem
onstration would be a serious blow at
trial by jury. 1t would be rather more
than that 1t would be blow at our en-
tire judiciary system 1t would be tan
tamount to an effort to introduce the la
Dor strike as court of last resort. 1t
wuld aim at placing within the hands of
labor unions authority to reverse the de-
cisions of all our courts, including the
supreme court of the United States itself
The fact that an organization of such
standing as the American Federation of
Labor could for monet contemplate
such step is all but incredible. That 1t
did, none the less, seriously mediate the
plunge into the attempt at sheer revolu-
ton which an act Of this kind would in
volve, is, unhappily, only too evident
from the very earestness of Mr.. Wilson's
appeal to the federation's patriotism and
good sense to avert the calamity
For calamity it would have been. A
calamity, not to our social system as or
ganized, but calamity to organized la
Dor That the contemplated strike would
have had the slightest effect on the ord
erly processes of our judicial proceedings
is quite impossible. Our system OF trial
by jury would go right on as usual. Our
courts as usual would go right on in their
established processes of adjudication. Ii
federal and state constitutions are to be
so amended that labor strike shall have
the effect of reversal over conclusions OF
law and fact reached by judges and juries
such amendments will come in the ways
made and provided by the constitutions
themselves. If, in the opinion of the peo-
pie of the United States, it is better that
an Amalgamated Bench of Walking Dele
gates have revisionary discretion over
our court decisions, the people of the I'm
tied States doubtless will compass that
end by their own deliberate and orderly
methods 1t is just as certain that they
will not be coerced to that end by strikes
or threats of strikes, as it is that otr
courts. as constituted, will not be swayed
by the breadth of hair from the per"
Torrance of their sworn duty by any S.ich
ovet processes of intimidation.
When we reach that bridge we shall
cross it. We shall cross it in our own
time and in our own way. Very certain
it is that we will not be stampeded and
hustled over it by any such coercion as Z
nation wide strike Such strike, based
on such purpose, would be set back to
the country, but the country would speon--
ily recover the lost ground To organized
labor it would be a disaster 1t would
mean loss of prestige which many years
might not suffice to recover. tits mis-
fortune to organized labor that such a
project could even be suggested by re-
sponsible labor leaders. In temperate,
but none the less weighty language, Sec
retary Wilson impressed these facts up
on his Labor Federation hearers. The
federation's good commonsense apparent
ly, has edorsed and accepted his excellent
advice -Harveys Weekly.
p n
PUNISH THE GUILTY