Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1907 — MEANT AS A THREAT? [ARTICLE]

MEANT AS A THREAT?

Gompers Say* Soma Significant Words in Cloaing a Labor Day Talk. KICK AGAINST THE INJUNCTION That Is the Barden of Hie DisconmHeant’s View Of the Day. Gives It * Place with July 4—Klota at San Francisco and an Ohio Town—General Observance. Norfolk, Va., Sept. 3.—Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, in his Labor Day address at the Jamestown exposition, made a protest against what he called “the discrimination of the Courts against the laboring men of our country which deprives them of their constitutional guarantee of equality before the law. The Injunctions sas issued against workmen are never used or Issued against any other citizens of oux country. It Is an attempt to deprive citizens of our country, when these citizens are workmen, of the right of trial by Jury. It Is an effort to fasten an offense against them when they are innocent of any wrong-doing, Will Interpret the Law Himself. "Labor asks no immunity for any man, workman or other, who may be guilty l of unlawful or criminal conduct. So far as I am concerned let me say that never have I nor will I violate a law. I desire it to be clearly understood thnt when any court undertakes, without warrant or lnw, by the injunction process to deprive me of my personal rights and my personal liberty guaranteed by the constitution I shall hnve no hesitancy In asserting and exercising these rights. Sounds a Word of Warning. “And It may not be amiss to sound a word of warning and advice to such of the rampant, vindictive and greedy employers who seek to rob the working people of our country of their lawful and constitutional rights by the unwarranted Injunetlort process: The full power of labor has never yet been exercised in defense of its rights; if not wise to eoninei its exercise." Hearst Eulogizes Labor Day. William R. Ilearst also delivered a Labor Day address at the Jamestown exposition. In part Hearst said: “Labor Day should rank with the Fourth of July as a characteristic American holiday. The Fourth of July commemorates: the* means by which we gained onr independence ns a nation, and Labor Day commemorates-'the means by which we have marie our nation the most powerful, the most progressive, tiie most prosperous of any in the world.”

SOME UNPLEASANT INCIDENTS

Paraders Attack Car Men—Two Rioters Shot and Shooters Arrested. San Francisco. Sept. 3.—The labor union ptirade resulted in tin* shooting of two men by employes of the United railroads. The car men were attacked by Hie paraders—and in selfdefense opened tire. The trouble started after the parade was over and the crowd was waiting at the ferry to cross the hay to Shell Mound park. The crowd was scattered around and was frequently on the tracks where the ears were running, the crews being that red rag to the hull when union labor is the hull non-union. Just what started tin* riot is not known now, blit probably a car narrowly missing some of the people on or close tn the tracks was made the pretext of an attack on Inspector L. .1. Hall, who was starting the ears for the United Itailroads. Then Conductor Watkins and Motorman Dunston were ‘attacked, and they drew pistols and turned them loose on- their assailants. Meantime part j of tin 1 mob was attending to Hall. He fICSt rail from Ills assailants. They fol- ; lowed him to the corner of Sutter and Montgomery streets, where they overtook hint. j He drew n pistol and aimed at a burly labor union man who carried bricks in his hands. The inspector opened tire and shot the man through the groin. Six shots Vere (ijrod. A riot call was sent into the police and fire departments and a force of police and firemen were soon on the scene. The men who did the shooting were arrested, but several rioters who were seized 'by the police were released. One reason why no arrests were made was that the rioters mobbed the police and released the few who were arrested. A police lieutenant said: "It took twenty officers to arrest one nian^’ Following are the wounded: John Peterson, utilou man, shot groin, may die; L. J. Hall. United Railroads Inspector, shot In head; F. J. Durston, motoruian. shot In head and badly cut; Henry C. Castan, motorman, hit or head with stones, badly cut; Thomas Bow-man, union Ironworker, shot In j ,e ?- - . Steubenville. 0., Sept. B.—A Labor Day riot that bid fair to end In a tragedy had it not been for the bravery of two young women employed in the telephone exchange occurred here. The victims of the crowd’s rage were Joseph Harblson, fractured skull, and John Hatton, Cut and bruised. Whlie In shielding the men Miss Mary Magee and Eiila Itooke received cuts and bruises about the head and body, and are Id a serious condition. Harblson

and Hatton came here from St. Louis to work In a mine where a strike la |n progress. As they left (the telephone office they were set upon by a crowd and were being badly beaten when the two girls rushed Into the thick of the trouble and protected the assailed npen with their own bodies, one being struck on the head and the other on the arm with a piece of Iron. The police dfd not arrive until a let-up In the assault occurred, and then they only made one arrest