Evening star., 1921-12-21
When a Picket Is a Missionary

When a Picket Is a Missionary
Applying the rule of reason" to
strike -picketing. Chief Justice Taft
hands down u decision which the
Fort Wayne Und) Journal-Gazette
(democratic) calls "one of the most
important and far-reaching in mat
ters affecting labor in recent years.
The Supreme Court decides that
strikers may station missionaries
at the doors of Industrial establish
ments, to persuade Strikebreakers not
to work. But they may not resort
to violence or threats, nor even sta
tion 50 many pickets that the non
striking worker is intimidated by
their numbers. The decision says:
"In going to and from work men
have a right to as free passage
without obstruction as the streets
afford, consistent with the right OF
others to enjoy the same privilege.
We are a social people, and the ac-
costing by one of another in an inof-
fensive way and an offer by the one
to communicate and discuss lhlor
nation with view to Influencing
the others action are not regarded
as aggression or violation Oh lnal
others rights. If. however. the oner
Is declined. as it may right1ully Pc
then importantly ana oogstnS i"n
come unjustifiable and oostruc!lon
Thicb 10 likely to SAVIOR of intimlda-
ton" ,oorred
are admirably set forth IN tnls
paragraph" thinks the Bunalo EA E,+
press Gndependent ods repu1iiuh a1tb"meh the
mnion wins the case. the Canton
I0hio, News tdemocratic) holds that
1.-The decision in the main, may pe ae
cepted as unfavorable 10 the con
tions of organized workers that tnes
should have the rlght TO a"op, .nd the
ticaIIy their own methods. anu nv
Philadelphia Bulletin fndepenaen'
ranublican) declares that picke11,
ing. as it is commonly practiceo' WI,
find no opportunity undeI tie PSot
ruling. The Norfolk Nlrelnla a,,sn
fnrther: 1.-The Clayton act DID not
vest labor with right to do wrong
that is the gist of the decision.
Rut the emphasis runs the otner
way. in the opinion OF many papei o
Thus the Scranton Times (demox
oratic, nmti believes that that part of
oreanized labor-and it is by 1ar .ne
ma ior part-which believes IN keep,
inr within the laws when engaseu
in industrial disputes has no very
great reason to complain OIL 'iie "e
cision." and it concludes:
T, "a abor's great complaint in rel
oranca to the use of the injunction
90 weapon by the employer mas
heen that the restrainers lSsueu ny
many courts have been too sweeping
and generally prohioitory Oh aUs Ms u haa
ali rights of the employe: we oee
i've that courts will be trif1e more
narefuI in issuing injunctions against
labor in the future. an+,+ors
that the decision simply means ina.
every case must pc oecldeu G ~
rnerits with wide latitude for inter-
,,ra+at;on For example the Lincoln
pPNeh1 state journal independent re-
publican) notes: =; oh-
viousIy somewhat difficult to 1oilow,
hut it will appeal to most peopie as
the line of fairness To say that strfk-
ars nav not peaceably communicate
with strike breakers and present their
o.sa to them is a violation OF funda-
mental American principles OF 1ree-
dom The courts purpose is TO permit
the use of missionaries, but not the
employment of force.
The Oakland (Cal.) Tribune (inde-
nendent republican, points out that
the "crossing of the line" that sepa-
rates lawful and unlawful picketing
"is exceedingly easy and may be done
unintentionally. 1t is" the paper con-
tinues- T..
many cases-of personal provocatton
anIi personal retaliation. The picket
ing of a large industrial plant, such
as the Chicago and Kansas City meat
hacking establishments, cannot be
carried out within the law unless the
hot fyUn
each entrance are adequate, is OBJ
The suffragette picketing of the
white House is recalled by the
Charleston CIV. Va.) Mail Gndepend-
ent republican, as a Conspicuous ex-
though it appears to come within the
letter of the law, their idea was to
force something; for there is a force
in this world other than physical
force"
(republican) should have the palm
for reducing Justice Taft's dictum to
a homely admonition: "a picket must
display good manners" 1t holds that
the decision is an example of "fine
sanity and common sense" and is SO
clear that there will not be a picket
in doubt as to what he may do"
The Bad Spot in Industry.
The one bad spot in the industrial
situation, SO reports from Washing
ton show, is the failure of agricul-
ture to recover. The plight of the
farmers does not grow better. This is
essentially a true bill, although con-
ditions have eased a bit since last
year, as shown by the reduction in
loans of country banks.
It is a fact that the purchasing
60
nearly half of the purchasing power
of the country, is cut to pieces, and