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Show "A SCRAP OF PAPER." j The United States government in attempting to curb violence and prevent interference, intimidation and bodily injury to non- j union men who are operating the nation's railroads issued a temporary tem-porary federal order restraining striking railroad shopmen and officials of-ficials and affiliated bodies throughout the contry from interfering; in any way whatsoever with the operation of the nations roads. j Until the questions at issue are settled through orderly hearings, strikers and labor leaders are forbidden to interrupt railway service , and from attempting to prevent any person from freely entering into or continuing the employ of the company. j President Gompers of the American Federation of Labor in an inflamatory denunciation of the order and government interference with the railroad union, characterized the injunction as outrageous i and an "invasion of the constitutional rights of working men." He' added that the Federation's view was as previously expressed and that injunctions invading constitutional rights should be regarded as "scraps of paper." He discussed our republic as founded on the principtal of liberty liber-ty which was maintained by Lincoln and Garrison in the abolition of human slavery. He closed his denunciation of the court order with the implied suggestion that it should be disregarded by railway workmen work-men when he said "but I am not advising men what to do. 1 hey will use their own judgement." This advice coupled with, his previous "scrap of paper" statement can have but one meaning. What hypocrisy for Mr. Gompers to prate about our republic, the principles of liberty and abolition of slavery when Gompers and every other labor leader is attempting to set organized labor and its rules and ultumatums above our courts and the United States constitution consti-tution and prevent any man not a member of their organization from working at his trade. Where is there any liberty or freedom from slavery in such a program? Union leaders at Herrin, 111., murdered more than a score of non-union workmen in cold blood to uphold "union rule" and to terrify and prevent any man not a member of their organizai ion from working in that district. Where is there any libeity or freedom from slavery in such a condition? This nation has reached a parting of the ways. If our country is still free and the constitutional right to life, libeity and persuit of happiness, which includes working, is to be kept inviolate, no organization organ-ization of labor or capital can be allowed to set itself above the government, gov-ernment, override our court decisions and say who can walk and who cannot work. United States Attorney General I Iarry M. Daugherty stated .1 ii.i. .i-.i- . - i i i the case clearly in his argument tor tins restraining order when tie said that "the survivial and the supremacy of the government of the United States is at stake." "When the unions claim the right to dictate to the government and to dominate the American people and deprive the people of the necessities of life, then the government will destroy the unions for the government of the United States is supreme and must, endure." This is a strong, fearless statement. The Attorney General has no fight against union labor as such and is in favor of seeing labor unions preserved but when the issue is clean cut as to union domination of the government itself and 1 10,000,000 people there is but one answer either the government must protect the right of persons and property or the unions overthrow this right which means that they override government and courts and make a mockery of our constitutional liberty. Every loyal American should back the government in its present pres-ent fight, not to overthrow unionism but to prevent labor unionism from overthrowing the One Great Union of the United States. x |