Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-09-02
Gcmpers Voices
Protest at Move :
To Disregard It

1
Washington, Sept. 1-Resardless
of the injunction issued at Chicago
! today, the American Federation of
/ Labor will continue to raise funds
and supplies in aid of railroad strik-
crs, its president, Sampel Gompers
declared tonight and will seek every
way to help them to bring about IAN
honorable adjustment" OF their con-
| troversy.
Mr.. Gompers declared the injunc-
ton was Outrageous and IAN in
vasion of the constitutional rights of
working men and should be so re-
earded. The federation's view. he
added, was as expressed on previous
! occasions that injunctions invading
constitutional rights should be
treated as scraps of paper
Conforming the injunction, Mr..
| GomperS declared it represented
"usurpation of power by courts" and
asserted the federation would con-
! tnue supporting the strike with
! money and aid
! The injunction, he said, might be
stirring up hornets nest instead of
pacifying the existing unsettlement
| because there are other railroad
workers, the trainmen. the telegraph
ers. the maintenance of way men,
who may now become interested"
|
! however," he remarked. I'm just
mentioning them"
! This injunction is a most outrage
Gus thing-a process of the manufac-
| ture of radcalism and boshcvism in
| this country" Mr.. Gompers continued.
] ut is quite strange, in our republican
, form of government founded on the
! principles of liberty, that the political
party which was led by Lincoln and
Garrison to the abolition of human
slavery should now be engaged in
movement for the restoration of co n
pulsory human labor
IL am quite sure the result of this
Injunction will only be to solidify the
men and to strengthen the support
of public opinion behind them. We see
| that the railroads need no lawyer IN
these matters. for Attorney General
Daughcrty and the department or JUS
ticc becomes the attorney of the rail
road companies. While the action
amounts to a confirmation that the
strike will be successful, that all pow
ers of the government should be
brought to force the surrender of
rights by the men. when not one mo-
tive has been made by the government
to enforce decisions of the Rallroad
Labor Board when 90 railroads in lo4
separate cases have violated its or
ders."
Turning to the injunction itself
Mr.. Gompcrs said he was informed
il forbade 1.-The men or their repre-
scntativcs to write letters, circulate,
statements, word of mouth or
otherwise"
why didn't they stop the radio
and borbid them using the ether
he inquired. The American FEEDER
alton of Labor has advised men in
previous injunction cases to treat
as scraps of paper those court or
ders which invade their constitu-
tional rights"
He was asked if he considered this
Injunction to invade constitutional
rights.
Il don't consider it does-1 know
it docs" he exclaimed emphatically.
But ! am not advising these men
what to do. l assume they know.
They will use their own Judgment"
President Harding, he suggested, in
labor matters, was going back to
normalcy. several centuries lack"
"The President has twice sought
from Congress legislation forbidding
strikes" he said, "and Congress has
refused to grant it. Now it is pro-
posed to go further by court order
than can be gone by legislation, If
there is anything. unlawful in the
action of men on strike they can be
indicted, prosecuted and punished if
convicted.
"They are not charged with crime.
They stopped work: that is all. They
are not interfering with railroad OPP
erations; they have simply ceased to
serve. The only thing the injunction
doesn't do is to order them to return
to work.
None of them, the injunction said.
may 'taunt' men who are at work.
I've never heard of haunting as
violation of law. They mustn't call
these fellows 'scabs.' I suggest they
call them instead industrial angels
The executive council of the fed
Grafton. Mr.. Gompers added. would
consider at an early meeting whether
it's own legal representatives would
enter the case in an endeavor to have
Tho in 1 ncf ion Ninlaf ed