The sun., 1919-11-01


are about 100000 men in this coun-
try belonging to labor unions. There
are 100000 men who do not. These
are submerged in the "one big union"
Of over 1oo.ooo,ooo citizens who pay in
dollars, In suffering and in sacrificed
liberty for the high costs and high
crimes of mobocracy without and
within labor unions. AS humble and
forced contributor to this lswless
tribute" offer this protest:
TO THE Hob COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION
(which msans all law respecting CIT
isens). GREETING;
You have brought evil days upon us.
and you must lead us out Of them.
You have given us the lawless spirit
now menaoing the nation. and you alone
can suppress Il. You have tried 70 rule
and 70 sleep at the same time. It can
not be done.
The law and its officers are at this
moment In need Of your outspoken and
vigorous moral support.
You have observed for years. un-
moved and unoonoerned, the outrageous
use of coercion and terrorism to enforce
the will Of one individual or a group
Of individuals upon a majority. In some
instances you have legalized It
BY tolerating these wrongs you have
thus nourished and developed the con-
tempt for the rule Of reason ana for
lawful restraint which has logically led
to the present situation.
You have, in effect made participa-
ton In riots, lynchings and mob murder
a special privilege OF American citizen-
ship for those who desire such license.
You seem willing to dispense rioters,
but not to penalize them. As q rule the
guilty 30 unscourged Of the law.
Mobs thirst for blood. but you rarely
give them any of their own. On the
contrary. you give them the blood Of
your peace officers, whose graves. are
found in nearly every community
| where, so far as your interest 10 indi-
Gated, they sleep u,honored and with
ont evidence OF public appreciation or
remembrance.
The battle cry of ITO he'll with the
law T. Is ringing throughout the land
with ever increasing volume. 1t comes
not only from rioters and the leaders Of
murderous mobs but from the enemies
Of public order within and without the
labor unions.
Does not the swelling chorus OF this
raucous slogan Of anarchy interest your
Will not even the pitiful cry of the VIC
| Tins pierce the armor OF your indiffer-
| ence?
acknowledge the good purpose and
the good works of organised labor but
one cannot undertake to discuss the
virtues Of man while he is beating one
| over the head with club.
You have made of labor unionists a
special favored class which claims and
and beyond the law.
You have SO long tolerated the false
assumption that the Constitution permits
group Of citizens to form and carry
out consplracies to interfere with pub
lie commerce by stopping production and
transportation and by closing down bust
ness enterprises that many people be-
lieve that 1t Is true.
| You have thus observed crime
committed by an individual become a
sacred right" when committed by a
handful Of strikers
| An individual insists upon blocking
street traffic even for few moments
and he Is arrested and punished
| A labor union stops the traffic of an
entire city or of the entire country
and It Immediately becomes lawful"
The individual who for his own gain
v ould forcibly prevent me from going tc
work or from buying the necessities Of
life for my family, would be promptly
arrested and punished.
But the labor union may paralyze
the industry OF city or the nation
cause excessive suffering to thousands
from hunger and cold and great fnan,
cial loss. and such a monstrous CRIME
Immediately becomes lawful"
Can this grievous public wrong go OF
forever?
What Is there about the rights
OF unionists that makes them so much
more sacred than the rights of the
other OF per cent of the population?
You have heard them demand ex
emption from the lawful application
of court injunctions which apply I,
other citizens.
You have made conspiracy in re
straint Of trade" lawful privileg,
for organized labor and a crime wher
engaged In by other people.
You have virtually given them tn
status of foreign power Their lead
ers have even claimed the nation t
be under especial obligation to tn.