The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-24
Shaving the Injunction


The decision of the United States supreme court,
holding that under the provisions of the Clayton
Act those charged with violation of an injunction
in labor disputes are entitled to trial by jury
is piece of political strategy of very high order
1t kills two birds with one stone.
The lower courts have refused the right of jury
trial to workers hailed before the bar of capitalist
justice for violation or alleged violation of the in
famous Injunction. This summary treatment in
creased the resentment aroused among the work
ing class over that very effective strikebreaSing
weapon.
But if there are some who believe that the SUI
preme court decision impairs the efficiency of the
injunction, they have jumped to hasty conclusion.
On the contrary the nine more or less wise and
aged men who are considered capable of inter
preting the laws in accordance with the constitu-
ton of the United States simply gave the injunc
tion a clean shave and made it look respectable.
As far as the operation of the injunction is
cerned the decision maintains the status quo. The
clubs of the police and the rifles and bayonets of
the national and state soldiery will be available
for use against the strikers The only difference
is that whereas previously the trial court could
refuse worker, arrested for violation of the in
junction, trial by jury, the ruling of the supreme
court make jury trial mandatory demand of
the defendant. But it is not hard to get jures to
convict and anyhow the injunction has done its
dirty work in the meantime. 1t has broken the
strike, unless the of workers ignore the in
junction, which they should do.
From the standpoint of political strategy the
decision proves that the supreme court is the will
ing servant of the American ruling class and
particularly of its most dominant faction, repres-
ented by the elements supporting Coolidge and
Dawes in this election campaign
The two most vulnerable points in the G. o. p.
front in this election fight are the Injunction and
the supreme court Both are defended by the re-
publican party without reservations. The bour-
geois opposition particularly the LaFoette party,
have sounded the alarm on those issues in order
TO catch the labor vote.
This decision therefore has the double effect
Of polishing up the Injunction making it look more
civilized and at the same time placing the august
supreme court in the position of being the defender
Of the peoples liberties and impartial tribunal
To which the workingman and the capitalist can
and have their disputes decided with the as
surance that their rights under the constitution
will be protected without regard to class station
in life.
This view of the decision may be taken by thou
sands But it is the wrong view. The fact is that
even an honest attempt to reform capitalist insti-
utions is as futile trying to change the nature
Of tiger by cllpplng MS claws. In Order TO DeSln
the task of solving the social problem in the in
erest of the producers of wealth, the workers must
first take the governmental power away from the
capitalists and substitute for the present capitalist
institutions the workers own organs of govern
ment the SOviets
In this campaign the only presidential ticket
that points out the way the workers must follow
in order to win their emancipation from wage
slavery and the exactions of capitalist rule in
GLIDING injunctions and supreme court, is that of
William y. Foster and Benjamin Gitlow, the Com
munist candidates for president and vicepresident
on the Workers Party platform.