Montana labor news., 1935-12-19
Cow- Town Judge Has
Supreme Court Ideas

The following letter was received at
the last regular meeting from the Great
Falls Mill and Smeltermen's Union No.
10, in regard to Judge Hattersley's de-
cision on the S-hour law:
November 2lst, 1885.
Mr.. Reid Robinson,
P. 0. Box 1127,
Butte, Montana.
Dear Sir and Brother:
At the last regular meeting Of the
Great Falls Mill and Smeltermen's
Onion, the Financial Secretary was in
structed to communicate with the
principal affiliated locals OF the Inter
national, regarding the decision just
rendered in the District Court Of Cas-
cade county here in Great Falls, when a
Farming Community Judge, namely,
r. Nj. Hattersley, OF Conrad, Montana,
declared the Eight Hour law u%nconsti-
t%utional, after Judge Meigs of Great
Falls had disqualified himself, no doubt
for political reasons, and the said Judge
Meigs is coming up for reelection soon
and feels that by disqualifying himself
he can pull the wool over the eyes OF
the average working man, but | am
confident that organized as we'll as un-
organized labor will not forget the Hon.
Judge Meigs next election, and we
must presume that he had received his
instructions from the powers that be,
but feared the consequences if he had
followed the same procedure as the
labor hating R. M. Hattersley of Con
rad, Montana, when he declared the
Eight-hour law unconstitutional.
This matter OF the constitutionality Of
the Eight-hour law will have to be
fought through the supreme court, and
Brother James Graham Of the M. S. F.
of l.. who visited Great Falls Novem-
Der 10Th, stated that two opposite YER
diets have now been rendered, so there
is no doubt but that somehow we will
have a. decision rendered in a very
short time through the supreme court,
SO that the average laboring mar be he
organized or not, will know the amount
Of hours that he is supposed to toll
for the miserable p~ittance that he re-
ceives, for a days pay.
We are asking all organized labor in
the state Of Montana to take action on
this particular case in order to give it
all the publicity possible, and if hui
manly possible try and bring sufficient
opposition on these enemies OF labor,
and who have become so drunk with
power that has been vested in them,
that they believe that the average la
boring man should be sent back to a
state Of peonage, SO that the preferred
class who are back Of these would-be
dictators Of all human rights can ex-
plot them, but let us hope that it may
terminate into the old saying give a
calf enough rope and he certainly will
hang himself. We also hope that some
OF the power vested in some Of these
AUTOCRATS, who live in the past,
and whose minds will not change with
the times, will be taken away from
them, through congressional and other
means. certainly the people OF this
great country will not continue to live
under such a dictatorship.
Certainly the people will not con-
tinue to stand for procedures Of this
kind, giving the judges the power to
take and declare what our state repre-
sentatives and our representatives in
congress make into a law. And just
because these ~autocrats can hide be-
hind the constitution and declare every
thing unconstitutional to suit their
whims, as a matter of fact if this con-
tinues that the constitution shall be
banded back and forth, with disrespect
for the same as is being done, where are
we going and what are we going TO do
when any progressive program is made
into a law these men can by twisting
words to suit their convenience
declare them unconstitutional, in order
that the favored few can continue to
exploit all mankind.
Hoping hat all organized labor in the
state Of Montana will take note OF the
opposition that we have, even by the
judges who are supposed to be impair
tial and who are elected to a position OF
trust, let US unite into a cooperative
movement in order to defeat some Of
these, our worst enemies, that wish to
take away even the niggardly rights
that we endeavor to hold under said
Constitution. If labor would only or
ganize and cooperate, these autocrats
would not dare to listen to the silent
and whispered threats OF a favored few.
With kindest regards and best
wishes, we are Great Falls Mill and
Smeltermen's Union, John A. Isaacson,
Financial Secretary.