The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-30
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Is Sure to Follow.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE. |
Especial Dispatch to The Reformer.) |
Copyright 1922.
CHICAGO. ILL.,. Sept 30.-Illinois isl
so overwhelmingly Republican that Sen
ator Medill AIcCormick's reelection is
assured and there is far more interest
in this community in the effect of the
injunction secured in the federal courts
here by the government against the rail
road strikers.
Briefly, the injunction is looked upon
as epochal Unless labor should sue
coed in >setting aside through reversals
in the higher courts, the decree is perma-
nent This means that strikes on public
utilities have at one fell swoOp been de
clared taboo without any further legisla-
| ton. That, however. is just the rub.
| Many of the critics of the injunction con-
| tend that it would be far better for
| America if such drastic prohibitions as
are imposed by the injunction We're
| really passed upon by congress. There
! is naturally a reaction against the in
| iunction IN labor circles. but it is a fact
! that the business community as a whole
/ welcomes the step as Il start at any rate,
toward the settlement of Industrial dis
putes. and argues that even if the inJunc-
| ton should fail to stand the test OF the
| higher judiciary, it will serve as basis
| for action by congress or the states. In
other words, public sentiment against
| strikes on public utilities and in the
| Industries which control the necessities
of life is rapidly crystalliZing and must
be reckOned with in politics.
Stronger Among Friends.
There is no question but the Harding
| administration has been UNNECESSARILY
strengthened among its own supporters
by President Hardings veto Of the bonus
hin and the Daugherty injunction. The
business men who contribute heavily to
the support of the Republican party
from year to year have always felt that
the Wilson administration catered to
labor and that its successor must. ia a
measure. do the reverse. It WAS, there
fore. with considerable disappointment
that the proposal of President Hardlng
tn restore seniority rights to rail strikes
was received Some business men went
so far as to say that the proposal was
a surrender like the Adamson act.
Business men became critical of the adj
ministration. But the Daugherty in
junction and the veto of the bonus
turned the tide Reports received by
the Republican chicftains from all parts
of the country show that Mr.. Harding
boosted his political stock good deal
by the position he has latterly adopted,
Labor Antagonistic.
What Mr.. Harding gains, however
among the business men is to some eN
tent Offset by the autagoniSms he mas
earned on the labor side. The injunction
fight is by no means over, The fight will
be- carried To the supreme court of the
/ United States. Attorney Genera
Daughprty told the writer that he wei
! coined a thorough test of the injunction
The decree is. Of course, based upon tht
famous antitrust law of 1890 which
makes il unlawful to restrain trade. One
lof the chief points brought out by thu
| critics as 10 the durability of the injunc
ton as a legal proposition is the con
! tcntion that the acts complained OF by
| the department of justice are not fedora
but state offenses and that a conSplrac!
to violate state laws is not Suthcen
ground for federal iniunctions. So tn,
chances are when the injunction /
finally passed upon ii will furnish Il ties
on the broad principle of whether an
act may be committed which Is IN ltsel
| laWful-such as a meeting or the taking
of Il strike vote-if such an act result
in the restraint of trade or the Interrupt
| ton of commerce, The brotherhood O
| locomotive engineers. trainmen and con
ductOrS, who were not Il party to tn
ran strike. are up IN arms ABOUT II. he.
are gathering here the best legal talen
available to them to fight the injunction
They insist that as it stands now the
cannot order strike and that it wa
never the intent of congress to permi
such prohibition to be derived iron
the act of 1890 or subsequent statutes.
Drastic Laws May Follow.
One thing is certain-if the highe
courts reverse the Daugherty injunctio
a movement will begin for the enact
ment of legislation just as drastic. TIL
injunction may be a bitter pill to swal
low and from the labor viewpoint ma
contain many injustices. but like al
things that go to the extreme it is tn
result of a disturbed and. to some extent
elnbittered public opinion which see
two sides contending perenially Will
the public suffers and pays the bill
There is some regret voiced here that tn
| administration did not see fit to inquir
more closely into those acts of the raj
road executives which. in a broad way
have contributed causes of diSsatisfaC
ton among the workers and led ind
rectly. if not directly. to the strikes. T
retain public confidence some steps tina
viii be convincing of the government
impartiality as between the factions al
again and again pointed out as newt
able. Naturally the government is try
ing its hand and experimenting, and
the decree is not broken down by lega
action higher up unquestionably tn
same method will be used to proven