The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-11-15
Attorney General Palmer Issues
Solemn Warning to Labor
Unions
SAYS DISREGARD OF THE
LAW Is REBELLION
Strike is Plain Violation of Fed
eral Law and Government
VIII Not Permit It

Washington, Nov. 10.-Solemn
warning was given the United Mine
Workers of America tonigh by At
torney General Palmer that resolu-
tons of conventions and orders Of
officers Of organiza tons are not above
the law.
Formal and final declaration Of the
governments policy of dealing with
the coal strike was announced by the
attorney general, while officers Of the
miners organization at Indianapolis
were struggling with the question
how to answer the courts blunt and
uerernptory command to rescind the
strike order.
Describing the strike as plain vi
olation of q federal statute, Mr.. Pal
mer. speaking with full authority OF
the government, announced that all
the power of the Unired States would
be exerted to enforce the mandate Of
the court.
Although no reference was made in
the attorney generals statement 10
the pronouncement Of organized Ia
Dor, supporting the miners and de-
manding withdrawal OF injunction
proceedings, j. was evident 1l.st NJ.
Palmer had that document in mind
and official Washington accepted his
declaration to mean that refusal OF
the miners to cancel their strike or
der would mean a fight to the bitter
end.
The statement of the attorney gen.
s.e,al which, was construed as reply
to the position of organized labor as
set forth last night by the American
Federation of Labor's executive coun-
Gil, follows:
."The coal strike is a plain viola
/; ton of a federal statute. This has
been the governments position from
the start. The president declared it
10 be unlawfu! and the court, after
full hearing. has now declared it to
be- unlawful.
"Ai, l can say is that the law will
he enforced. This same law has been
enforced many times and the depart
uent of justice has other cases now
pending which were brought under
il. The merits Of the controversy be-
tween the operators and the miners
are not involved in the court proceed
iags at indianapolis, neither is the
right to strike Nothing that the gov
ernment has done is intended or de-
signed to have any effect upon the
recognized right Of labor to Or
ganize, to bargain collectively through
its unions, and under ordinary INDUS
trial conditions to walk out by con-
cerfed action.
The proposal by the president of
peaceful settlement Of the matters at
issue between the operators and the
miners, through negotiation or arbl-
tration. was rejected and the govern
nent, therefore. faced the alternative
of submitting to the demands Of
single group to the irreparable injury
of the whole people, or of challenging
the assertion by that group Of power
greater than that Of the government
itself.
Confronted with such choice, the
governments duty was perfectly
clear; it refused to surrender to the
dictation of a group and it proposes
to assert its power to protect itself
and the people, whom it is designed to,
serve. The government is no respec-
ter of persons in the enforcement of
the law. Those who conceive that
the resolution of convention or the
orders Of the officers of any orsaniza-
ton in the country, whether labor or
ganiZa tion or any other, are superior
in authority to the law of the land
win find themselves mistaken.
II assume that the order Of the
court will be obeyed The presidents
offer for peaceful settlement is still
open and I hope that the miners and
operators will now get together and
settle their controversy.
There was no attempt in, official or
labor circles tonight to conceal the
feeling that the situation was ex-
tremely grave and getting beyond the
question of a coal strike. This was
dale to the belief that the miners ap-
parently were not Of one mind on the
question Of making a quick reply to
the court.
All day word from the Indianapolis
meeting was waited with intense in
tereSt and anxiety. Some labor lead
ers had predicted that the mandatory
order would not be complied with and
that the strike order would stand un-
til passed upon by the same delegate
convention which arbitrarily fixed the
date for the nationwide walkout un-
less specific demands were granted
by November l.
The action of the executive council
of the American Federation Of Labor
upholding the strike. pledging sup
port to the strikers and denouncins
the governments injunction suit. was
var;ously interpreted While officers
of the federation refused to add one
word by way of explanation or TO in
terpret its meaning in view Of the
feeling in some quarters that ]. was
designed to back up the strikers. 1t
was attacked in the floor of the s.'n-
aee and emphasized there that under
the food control law injunctions could
legally issue against strikers inter-
rupting the nations food and fuel /
supply.
Only a few reports came in from
tho coal fields and these showed the
situation generally unchanged. with
miners waiting to see what orders
they would get from indianapolis.