Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-02-24
Union Labor
Challenges
Injunction as Now Used
Against Strikes Denounced
By Representatives Of 100
Organizations at Capital.
Refusal to Obey Urged
BY ARTHUR SERS HENNING,
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire

BY 'ARIH0K SERS HENNlNG.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire
Washington. Feb. 23,-Open re-
bellion against the enforcement by
the government, of judicial injunc-
tons in industrial disputes was de-
clared today by the 200 representa-
tives of 10o American Labor organ
izations who met here at the call
OF President Gompers of the Amer
lean Federation OF Labor
At the close of an all-day session
the conference adopted a statement
prepared by Mr.. Gompers, which
depicted organized labor as being
! ground between industrial autocracy
and bolshevism, denounced the open
shop movement as cloaking a CAM
palgn to destroy unionism and flung
defiance to the government on the
injunction question:
"Thc injunction as it is now used
and abused in labor disputes is with
out sanction. either in the consttu-
ton or in the fundamental law OF
the land says the statement.
I 1T is pure usurpation of powers
and authority. The only possible
and practical remedy in the face OF
a power so usurped and SO complete
| ly unjustihed lies in fiat refusal
on the part OF labor to- recognize
or abide by the terms OF injunctions
which seek to prohibits the doing OF
acts which the workers have law
full and guaranteed right to do, or
which seek to compel workers to dc
those things which they have law
iul and guaranteed right to refuse
! to do. -
| Only Course Open.
This Is the only immediate course
through which, labor can find relief
and this course it purposes to pur-
sue. Labor realizes fully the con-
sequences of such course, but in the
defense of American freedom and
of American instittions ii is COM
PEELED to adopt this course; be the
consequences what they may
IT organized labor should carry
I cut this threat in any of the cases
n which unions have been restrained
by injunctions from employing
methods of coercion held contrary to
law, the government would face a
challenge to arrest the offenders and
hale them into court for contempt
! Enforcement of injuncticns might
result in sending hundreds if not
thousands of working men to Jail. Ii
organized labor should back the
Gompers' program with all its re-
sources state of rebellion OF
serious proportions would test the
ipower OF the government TO enforce
1>f1e law.
The urions1eaders profess TO be-
| iieve thstSNith the open shop move
ment growing, wages falling, un-
employment increasing, high prices
and -profiteering continuing and the
courts outlining some of their
organized labor faces the
gravest. crisis in its history. They
are going back to their organiza-
tons to help raise a great war chest
with which to fight the employers
and government enforcement of in
functions.
Dill CT Ri8ntS.
Labor's bill OF rights" was set
forth in the following propositions
for which the union leaders ask: !:
Public support and recognition"
"The right o. the working people
Of the United States to organize into
! trade unions for the protection Of
their rights and interests.
+ The right tc, and practice OF
collective bargaining by trade unions
through representatives of their own
chasing. F
The right to work and 10 cease
work collectively.
The right collectively TO bestow
er withhold patronage.
"The right 10 exercise collective
activities IN furtherance of the wei
fare of labor.