The Pullman boycott : $b A complete history of the great R. R. strikeBurns, W. F.
History
The Pullman boycott : $b A complete history of the great R. R. strike
Burns, W. F.
Pullman Strike, 1894
The Chicago Times, in an editorial says: In this Federal injunction,
which is in the main eminently just and equally unnecessary, appears a
claim in which certain persons named, and all other persons whatsoever
are ordered to refrain from compelling or inducing, or attempting to
compel or induce, by threats, intimidation, force or violence any of the
employes of any of the said railroads, to refuse or fail to perform any
of their duties, as employes of said railroads, in connection with the
interstate business or commerce of such railroads, or the transportation
of passenger or property between or among the states; or from compelling
or inducing or attempting to compel or induce by threats, intimidation,
persuasion, force or violence, any of the employes of any of said
railroads, who are employed by said railroads and engaged in its
service, in the conduct of interstate business or in the operation of
any of its trains carrying mail of the United States or doing interstate
business or transportation of passengers or freight, between and among
the states, to leave the service of such railroad. The Times
emphatically does not believe that any court whatever has a right to
order men to refrain from attempting by persuasion to induce others to
leave the employment they are engaged in. There is a natural law that in
the end will prevail over the formal law built up by lawyers and courts.
If as Judge Gary says, the law is common sense, this injunction will not
stand, for common sense will certainly pronounce an orderly and
respectful request to a railroad employee to give up his position and
join the organized strikers, no crime. It is idle to plead that a
discreet and just court will only enforce this injunction against actual
law breakers, for there is in it an opportunity for injustice and
oppression which makes it wholly bad. The injunction is becoming a
menace to liberty, it is a weapon ever ready for the capitalist, and
there should be more careful federal legislation limiting its use.
Certainly if the restraining order of Judges Wood and Grosscup be good
law there is no sense in maintaining organized labor. Childlike trust in
the benevolence and fairness of the employer must be the workingman's
future policy if this injunction be made a precedent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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