Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-03-12

y n / L Y
EDITORIAL
ID I G. ES I

Prepared Exclusively for The Tribune
Todays Subject:
LABOR THREATENING COURTS.
$50 long as labor unions stick u. 70
their Legitimate purposes ana prac.ice es
of cooperating to increase their Was:s S
when they are too low, to better tne..
working conditions when they are no!
right, to improve economic results anu ~
to stabilize industrial situations tue
New York Herald (Ind.) believes lhey
not only, in truth, are entireiy w shara
the rights already belonging 10 enIh,
but they are in useful ana lustn.,han ae
business And in maintaining .ness
rights the Herald feels that =, unions
mort becanse 1T is theirs" With this
position the American press IN gen.
eral svmnathizes. But when the
American Federation of Labor goes De-
yond the economic field and issues
what is universally interpreted IN
editorial columns as a deliberate oe-
f;ance of courts and judicial procedure,
this sympathetic attitude quichiy
changes to one of severe commemorative Wy.
of a doctrine that is called "reVoiu-
tionary" and "anarchistic:" ,;+
Union labor's bill of rights, as WIZ ~
ten by the executive couneI o. sno
American Federation OF LABOR SO, Is ION
which, according to the Nasn a.s ba
Post Ind) will in many respea. n,a I"
a aipce = emhodies Fundamental rights
w vhi can properly be abridged or
n1;f;.d WV Nv lahor's voluntary &C.
ton But the "bill of rights con e;a.
tains further. the Post adds, a Moi rs
conspicuous attitude of defiance OF h tns
courts and disregard of public rlghts
and the Philadelphia PUBLIC Ledger
Ind suggests that IF the Federation
would retain the support and ssmPa-
INV which it's economic program ae-
serves sit would be wise to cohsluels
whether it is not going far oe.ban
the limits of logic or OF justice ON
it couples a defensive program WIN M az
aggressive demand for specih p'"
leges and exemptions. -, ar
oan;zation.'' the Federation's at q!
tan Az "the Injunction and the judi
rial system" with an outline OF the
course which it promises to pursue, % y,
tho consequences what they may,
commands consideration, in the OPINION
~ The Chicago Tribune und. Rep
since. to quote the New York journal ..n
nj Commerce Und) it constitutes
challenge to our system of the ADMIN
;stration of Justice" The official an
nnuncement of "a flat refusal on the
mart of labor to recognize or aoloe ny
the terms of injunctions which seek %
prohibit the doing of acts when tne
workers have lawful and guaran'eeu
right TO do is nothing less. as tne
Norfolk Virginian Pilot tDem.) sees
it, than "a declaration OF independence
of law, declaration OF revolt asa.ns11
and Tribune (Repl it is more tnan
that. it is organized labors notice to
constitutional authorities that It is the
government" In support of this view
the Boston Transcript lind. Rep re-
marks that "a casual examination OF
the CONSTITUTION of the United states
and the new declaration OF what as.
slmes to be American organized lapor
is sufficient Ito convince anyone tna'
the new declaration is utterly suoVer'
. sive of the other
| What does this FLAT refusal to obey
, the courts mean?" the Lynchburg lNa)
, News (Dem) asks, and gives lis IN
depreciation thus:
1T obviously contemplates anarchv
For il our courts are stripped OF tneii
. power because the people won't ooe!
their orders, then we have case which
means an open assault upon the tels
structure of organized soclety-a chai
lenge flung into the face of govern
ment, daring it to show cause whether
it has the right to survive.
1T was a bad days business the
SnoLane Spokesman Review lind
Rep.) thinks, when that defiant chal'
lenee was hurled in the name of the
American Federation of Labor be
cause sit is a dangerous and manner
lean sophistry that the men who put
ont this call. not the courts, shall DC
the Judges of what is lawful and what
unlawful" and because. the Houston
) Chronicle Und.1 adds. whenever the
American people enter the realm OF
defiance as means of forcing the re-
. peal or modification of laws, III that
, hour their government ceases TO De
democracy
The American Federation Of Labor
5 justifies it's action. according to the
Chicago News Und.) on the ground
that "the injunction never. should have
been authorized and further. "necause
I American courts have 'usurped the
" mower Oh ditA StarueN' 49,
G ruling congress and the state legisla
lures" Therefore the federation pro
poses to start movement to deprive
: the courts Of their power of declaring
G laws unconstitutional. Thus. the News
continues. we find labor leaders pro
Tossing "to uphold due process Of law
against the arbitrary and tyrannica
courts,' The Norfolk Ledger Dispatch
lind. DEM doubts that Samuel Com
! crs seriously believes that the court:
!, should be deprived of the power to de
= clare laws unconstitutional, since h
must know that:
"Without that check the constitution
9 would be only another scrap of paper
= IF the courts did not have that power
y there would be nothing to prevent tn,
passage of legislation cruelty unjust tt
the very group which he represents
t Without that restraining hand it is con
' ceiyable that reactionary congress
3 might enact laws which would result IL
the establishment Of q virtual system
of peonage.'
But back of this demand, as tn,
y BROOKLYN Eagle CInd DEM sees it. il
! the realization of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor that while Congress
can be coerced by the threatened loss o
t votes into passing laws which organized
c labor approves. :; the courts are no
= to be so driven However, "if tina
-. wow, demands II 10 ,ybo1l,