The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-10-20
Answering Judge FItzHenry.

Moline, Oct. 19.-Editor Argus:
We note the comment Of Judge
FitzHenry in passing and septenc-
ting the seven striking Siavis shop
men, as published In the Rock Is
land Argus Of Oct. II, and wish to
make a brief reply In defense OF
ourselves and our cause. The men
in question were arrested for vi0-
latiun Of the injunction granted Oh
application Of the Rock Island rail-
road. According to reports these
men entered pleas Of guilty to the
charge OF stopping another en-
ploye Of Silvis shop for the pur-
pose of questioning him In regards
to certain WORK that he was per-
forming in the shops. During the
conversation some oDe in the
crowd struck this man and In due
course OF time the seven strikers
were arrested and taken before the
court to answer to. the charge OF
unlawful picketing and assault.
After carefully reading the COM
ment Of the court in connection
/ with the case we can come to no
other conclusion than that these
men were convicted of the charge
OF assault solely upon presump-
ton OF guilt and not by conclusive
evidence submitted at time Of the
hearing. Under the drastic terms
CT the injunction no doubt the men
were guilty Of violation Of same by
unlawful picketing as ruled by the
court, but nowhere in the remarks
Of the court as published in The
Argus can we find any grounds for
conviction on the charge of assault.
Having been found guilty Mnaer
the law as written by the court In
/ the injunction writ granted the
Rock Island railroad, three Of the
men were given Jail sentences OF
60 days, two others were released
on probation with the warning
from the court that ANY activities
ON their part that even smacks Of
a violation of this injunction will
be the cause of their arrest and We
will bring them into court and
without further trial, sentence will
be administered" The cases Of the
other men involved were continued
For this crime these men who have
never been involved in any trouble
Of any kind heretofore. and who
are all good responsible citizens OF
this community, must lay in Jail
for 60 days, away from their FAM
lilies who are dependent upon them
for protection and support. In the
course of the courts remarks the
Rock Island railroad was COM
mended for its alleged efforts to
. avoid conflict with employees, and
stated that it was the last railroad
to come into this court for relief
in the shape of an injunction. As q
matter of fact we have information
that leads US to believe that the
Rock Island railroad had all prep
arations made for an injunction be-
fore the strike was even called,
having had the names and ad.
dresses Of all the local union Of
ficials on file in the office of the
superintendent at Silvis, which
made perfect roster for prepar.
ing and serving the injunction. As
to the date the Rock Island Sc.
cured the injunction, it went iEtG
court on July 20, applied for and
was granted temporary injunc-
ton which was made permanent or
July rs. In our opinion it would
have been hard matter to have Sc
cured the injunction in less time
than was consumed. AS for seek.
ing to avoid conflict with EN-
plOyes, records will prove that ev.
erything possible was done durins
the Is months previous to the CAN
ing Of the strike to force the mel
out of the shops so that a test O.
strength might be made with thu
purpose in view of disrubting tht
labor unions. The railroad contin
ually placed its own Interpretation.
on the rules laid down by the Unit
ed States railroad labor board, ant
in many other ways antagonizet
the men to the point where the,
we're forced to strike in self-de