Evening star., 1946-12-05
ORAL CONCLUSIONS OF
THE COURT.

THE COURT.
The court: You see, this Is an
unusual situation. 1t is not only
an unusual situation, but an unpre-
cedented situation.
This Is not the act of low law
breaker, but it is an evil demoniac,
monstrous thing that means hunger
and cold and unemployment and
destitution and disorganization of
the social fabric; a threat to demo-
cratic government itself, and it is
proper for me to say at this point
that if actions of this kind can be
successfully persisted in, the Gov
ernment win be overthrown. and
the Government that would take its
place would be dictatorship, and
that the nrst thing the dictatorship
would do would be tosdestroy the
labor unions. That is IN accordance
With all history. a -
Sees Ridicuie Of Government.
Now, not only is it the things that
I have said. but it is this:
The Goyernment of the United
States is endeavorinG xfhrough an
accepted world leadership to unite
the peoples of the world in such a
way as b,faise the universe stand
ards of living: to unite the peoples
in good fellowship and to increase
the economic power for the benefit
OF all people by the work that it is
trying to do.
A spectacle of this kind of course,
tends to turn the Government of the
country, the social fabric, of a dem
ocratic people into ridicule in the
minds of the people of the world.
1t seems to me that this is one of
the most serious situations that has
ever developed in republic.
Now, I don't think, as I think I
have said before, that any one wants
to see the unions hit a mortal blow,
or any blow which will turn back the
condition of labor. I think that
every thinking and well-informed
person understands, as I have said
before, that the power of capitalism
to produce is unlimited; and aside
from humanitarian considerations
aside from the fact that all inter-
ested in raising the standards of
living of all our people. what cap
italism needs is a market, and you
cannot have market unless the
people have buying power, and they
cannot have buying power unless
they have salaries and wages.
Claims Friendship for Labor.
/ I cannot say whether labor has a
greater friend in this country thar
I am or not, but I cannot conceive
of 1t, because / have been that friend
ever since the first moment of my
conscious thought and opportunity
to see things as they were.
Now, the court does not see this
recommendation of the Govern
r1ent, insofar as the union is con-
cerned, as a desire to strike at the
miners. Certainly, from the courts
standpoint it is a desire to protect
the miners ultimate interests. Any
thing the court does includes that
desire.
AS far as the miners themselves
are concerned, it is a case of father,
forgive them, for they know not
what they do"
But unless-unless those who are
undertaking to direct the affairs OF
this union are corrected, they will
destroy the union, because if the
worst should, come to the worst
and it won't-I am not ca
Ilamity (fowler)-I have no desire
TO yell "calamity"-but If the worst
comes to the worst, and 1t is ques-
ton of the destruction of this union
to the preservation of this Repub-
lie, the Republic is going to be pre-
served.
Now, there is no other method o1
Furnishing an unincorporated organ.
/ ization except by a fine: 1t cannot
be done by imprisonment. The
court does not think that the sug.
1gestion of the Government consti-
tutes cruel or unusual punishment. "
Certainly the action in initiating
/ this totally unnecessary strike Il
costing the people. including the
miners, much more than any fine
that will be imposed.
/ Cites Equality in Punishment.
| Now, as to the individual defend
ant.
OF course, no humane court wants
to impose punishment on any one
On the other hand, any court that
understands justice, wants to impose
Circulation. October. ls46