, 1922-09-19
Not Depressing Labor-Pwifying Ii

An ACTION has been instituted in the supreme
II conrt Of the District of Columbia to prevent
the enforcement of the injunction of the Chicago
federal court within the District by the Brother
hood of Electrical Workers. This is one of the
organizations involved in the strike of the various
railroad crafts.
1t is we'll that this organization has applied to
the courts for relief from what it regards as an
unjust and Illegal action on the part of the govern
ment. 1t will serve as a healthful counter-irritan
to the great volume of incendiary talk against the
.courts by certain leaders. The advice of those
Headers is largely of a pernicious character. If
followed it would result in the breakdown of our
government.
Those who rail against the courts and who advo-
cate that they be either abolished or rendered in
To destroy or TO impair the judicial system would
at once revert TO that stage of civilization where
men rule by virtue of their power and brute
strength. Under such a civilization there is no hope
for the weak and the poor. The courts of the land
represent the distance we have come from the law
sof the savage and the age of rule by might and
violence, mob law is the only alternative to regular
court procedure.
The courts of the United States are open alike to
sthe rich and the. poor, the capitalist and the work
ing man. In fact. in this day of immense labor or
tganizations which have tremendous financial re-
sources there is nothing but demagogy in the talk
.of labor leaders of those organizations to the eff
feet that courts are fixed against labor in favor of
she capitalist. Some of the organizations which
,are now on a strike have within their treasury
more money than some of the railroads against
(which they are striking. Their headquarters are
Feltner IN very expensive Dullulngs or IN the most
expensive hotels of the country. The officers of
sthese labor organizations are receiving salaries
which equal the salaries paid railroad officers. The
heads Of the labor organizations have just conclud-
ed a meeting at Atlantic City, their headquarters
being in what is conceded to be one of the most
exclusive and highest priced hotels in Atlantic
City. For such leaders to talk about being deprived
of a square deal in the courts because they are poor
and therefore have no chance with capital is the
cheapest kind of 56magogy.
The federal injunction which these labor leaders
in their expensive office suites and hotel apart
lments denounced as being oppressive of the poor
man and denying the rights of the working man
is nothing of the sort In issuing such statements
these leaders relied upon misrepresentation which
they themselves put out to deceive the working
man as to the things which the injunction forbid
being done.
The injunction applied TO those who by violence
interfered with the operation of railroads engaged
in the transportation of passengers and property
and the United States mail. 1t did this in order
TO protect the life of the travelling public; in order
TO keep food and fuel moving; in order to keeu
products of industries moving so that they would
not be closed down and millions of other working
men thrown out of employment: in order TO move
4 the 1929 harvests. Certainly there was nothing i,