Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-11
INJUNCTION ORDER
. Of FEDERAL COURT
MUST Be ObEYED
Government Will Use Full
Power to Enforce
Mandate.
LABOR LEADERS GRAPPLE
WITH PROBLEM ALL NlGHJ
Must Take Action by 1925
O'clock This Afternoon to
Rescind Strike Call.
PINION ARE DIVERGENT
Indianapolis Meeting Impressed With
Seriousness of Combating
United States Government.
OPINIONS ARE DIVERGENT
TRy Associated prnaz1

rBy Associated Press.1
WASHINGTON, Nov 1n-So,enn
warning was given the United Mine
workers of America tonight by At
torney-General Palmer that resolution,
OF conventions and orders Of officers
or organizations are not above tho
law
Formal and final declaration of the
governments policy of dealing with
the coal strike was announced by ths
Attorney-General, while officers of the
miners. organization at indianapolis
We're STRUGGLING with the question how
10 answer the courts blunt and per
emptory command to rescind the strike
order.
Describing the strike as a plain vic.
lation of a Federal statute, Mr. PAL
mer speaking with full authority or
the power of the United States would
be cAerted to enforce tho mandate OF
the court.
Means Fight to Bitter End.
,,a ,although no reference was made in
the pronouncement of organized labor.
supporting the miners and demandinsa
i Was ssdent that Mr Pa1@eT hsd
that document in mind and Official
,Washington " ;Inaa or accepted his declaration
cancel their strike order would neal
Il fight TO the bitter end.
Inc statement or the AttorneyGen-
crai. which was construed as n reply
to the position OF organized labor as
set, forth last night by the American
Federation of Labor's executive coun-
The coal strike Is a plain violation
OF Federal statute. This has been
start The President declared 1t to
he unlawful and the court. after full
hearing, has now declared it to be un-
lawful
Inv VIII he Enforced.
"All I can say is that the law will
BIO enforced. This same law has been
enforced many times and the Depart
pending which were @ brought ] eIseS Under roT Il
The merits OF the controversy between
the operators and the miners are not
indianapoiis. neither is the rishs to to
strike. Nothing that tho government
has done Is intended or designed to
right OF labor to organize. to brs gain
collectively through it's unions. and un-
der ordinary industrial conditions. to
The proposal by the President OF
a. peaceful settlement OF the matters
at issue between between the oPerators and the
tration was fejected and the govern
ment therefore. faced the alternative
OF to ins the ,niura Of
of the whole people, or of challenging
the assertion by that group Of power
itself.
Governments Duty Clear.
Confronted with such a choice, tho
governments duty was perfectly clear;!
il refused TO surrender to take dicta-
uon OF group and it proposes to as.
sett 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
resolutions OF a convention or the or
ders Of the officers Of any organiza-
t.on IT, the country. whether labor or
Ganizations or any other, are superior
in authority to the law OF the and.
Viii fnd themselves mistaken:
will be oheyed. The Presidents offer
for a peaceful settlement is still open,
and | hope that the miners and oper-
ators viii! now set together and settle
There was no attempt in official or
labor circles tonight to conceal the
feeling that the situation was extreme
ly grave and getting beyond the ,ques-
Ion of a coal strike. This was due to
the belief that the miners apparently
were not of one mind on the question
OF making quick reply to the court.
Await Word From Indianapolis.
All day word from the indianapolis
meeting was awaited with intense in
terest and anxiety. Some labor lead
crs had predicted that the mandatory
order would not be compiled with and
that the strike order would stand un-
til passed upon by the same delegate
convention which arbitrarily fixed the
date for the nation wide strike unless
specific demands were granted by Mo-
vember /.
The action OF the executive council
OF the American Federation OF Labor,
upholding the strike, pledging support
to the strikers and denounc.ng the
governments injunction suit. was va
riously interpreted. While officers OF
the federation refused TO add one word
by way OF explanation or interpret its
meaning In view OF the feeling in
some quarters that IL was designed TO
back up the strikers, it was attacked
on the floor of the Senate and EN-.
phasized there that under the food
control law injunctions could legally
issue against strikers iEtcrruptinC tho
nations food or fuel.
Ihe executive council was In session
today. but no statement was given out
after adjournment There was q re.
port that the council had decided TO
issue CALL probably tomorrow, for,
union mass meetings in various cities.
and when Frank Morrison. secretary
OF the Federation OF Labor was asked
about 1t, he said: TFsi
Il cannot CONFIRM IT," ~
Only n few reports came In from the
coal fields and these showed that tho.
situation generally was unchanged.
with miners waiting to SEQ what or.