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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 3, NUMBER 18.
CCURB8NT
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OMAHA IS IN THE MIDST OP A GENERAL
labor strike. A number of employers, said
to be 800, have organized what is called the Busi
ness Men's association. So far, all suggestions
looking toward arbitration have been rejected by
representatives of either side. Representatives of
labor claim that Omaha has been chosen by busi
ness men, acting at the suggestion of D. M.
Parry, as the ground upon which the test which
Mr. Parry invited is to be made.
jj -
THE INJUNCTION WRIT HAS FIGURED IN
many labor strikes and yet this writ has
played an unusually interesting part in the Oma
ha controversy. Members of the Business Men's
association, having to deal directly with the
teamsters' strike, appealed to Federal Judge Mun
ger for an injunction against the teamsters. The
appeal to the federal court was based upon the
ground that the lumber merchants, the coal mer
chants, general Jobbers, and the transfer com
panies who were plaintiffs in this suit, were en
gaged in interstate business and were therefore
entitled to protection from the federal court As
a result, on May 6 Judge Munger issued a re
straining order. It was made returnable May 26.
In this order the striking teamsters were pro
hibited from doing duty around the business
houses or interfering in any manner with tho
plaintiff's employes or interfering with the plain
tiff's teams. In the same restraining order oc
curred this statement: "And further restraining
and enjoining the team drivers International un
ion, local No. 71, its officers and members, from
continuing said organization." This clause in the
restraining order was very generally condemned
and Judge Munger, as soon as his attention was
called to it, promptly struck the clause from
the order, explaining that ho had not closely ex
amined the same, but had depended upon plain
tiff's attorney to prepare it Following the fed
eral court injunction, representatives of the Busi
ness Men's association obtained a restraining or
der from the state court prohibiting waiters and
other strikers from interfering with the repre
sentatives of the Business Men's association.
JO
rHE REPRESENTATIVES OF LABOR OR
ganizations, however, have conceived the
notion that tho injunction process was not de
vised for tho exclusive use of employers and on
May 12 John 0. Yeiser, the lawyer representing the
labor unions, applied to Judge Charles D. Dick
inson of the district court of Nebraska at Omaha,
for an injunction against the Business Men's as
sociation and tho members thereof. In the peti
tion tho attorney for the labor men alleges that
the Business men's association is a national or
ganization having branches in all of the larger
cities; that that association was organized by
various railway officials and their sympathizers
as a secret organization for tho purpose of dis
rupting and discouraging labor unions. It is fur
ther alleged that the members of the Business
Men's association have entered into a conspiracy
to force into the Business Men's organization
merchants, business men and all employers of la
bor by threats of injuring business of the mem
bers and by boycotting such members; of threat
ening to refuse, and refusing to sell them sup
plies and commodities of necessities in their bus
iness if they would not join the conspiracy. It is
further alleged that tho members of the Busi
ness Men's association have conspired to boycott
and refuse to sell supplies to any of its members
and any business man or employer of labor who
In any way recognizes a labor union. It is further
charged that in April, 1903, the Omaha Builders'
Exchange as a part of the general plan and con
spiracy obtained an agreement among all ma
terial men in the cities of Omaha and South
Omaha to refuse to sell building material to any
contractor who had entered Into any agreement
with tho labor union and as a result of this al
leged conspiracy, it Is claimed that since that
date no contractor having an agreement with
union labor has been permitted to purchase mater
ial for construction and that as a result more than
fifteen contractors who had contracts for build
ings wore unable to execute said contracts. It is
further alleged that said employers of labor unions
have been threatened with blacklisting unless they
give up their organization; that the Business
Men's association has collected a large sum of
money to be used for tho purpose of disrupting
the union and that in pursuance of said plan,
the association has agreed to pay out to any em
ployer who will lock out his employes generous
sums of money for the purpose of paying the ex
pense of the lockout; and that members of tho
labor unions have been prevented by the Busi
ness Men's association from renting rooms in tho
city of Omaha for the purpose of opening restau
rants and engaging in business in competition
with the defendants. It is further alleged that
the Business Men's association has threatened to
bring a multiplicity of suits to harrass and annoy
the representatives of the labor unions.
IN RESPONSE TO THE PETITION OF THE
representatives of the labor unions, Judge
Dickinson issued a restraining order in the fol
lowing terms: "Upon the application of the cross
petitioners, Omaha waiters' union No. 23, for
an injunction upon their petition duly verified,
and it being necessary that these defendants to
the cross-petition should have notice of the ap
plication before an injunction is granted, it is
therefore ordered that said cause be set for hear
ing on the 25th day of May, 1903, at 10 o'clocu a.
m., at room No. 7 in the Bee building in the city
of Omaha, Douglas county, Nebraska, and that
cross-complainants be required to notify defend
ants of the time and plan of said hearing and
that until the further hearing of the court a re
straining order bo allowed against each of the
defendants above named, upon cross-complainants
executing a bond in the sum of ?500, as required
by law. Until decision of hearing each of said
defendants is restrained: First, from In any
manner threatening to injure the business or per
son of any employer or member of complainants'
union or member of labor unions or any person
who may employ or desire to employ such unioi
men or from refusing to sell commodities and
supplies of merchandise to employers of such
union labor and from discriminating against such
persons in the prices charged for any such com
modities. Second, from threatening or intimidat
ing in any manner any person into joining the
said Business Men's association or any organi
zation to destroy labor unions. Third, from
threatening or intimidating any person who may
have become a member of said association or
organization if he employes a member of or
ganized labor or recognizes labor unions, into
discontinuing such employment Fourth, from
Imposing any fine upon its members or any per
son for violating any agreement not to employ or
ganized labor or not to recognize a labor union.
Fifth, from receiving or paying out any money
whatever in pursuance of any agreement to break
up labor unions, excepting attorneys' fees. Sixth
from paying or offering any money to any officer
or member of labor unions directly or indirectly
as a bribe to do or not to do any act in pursuance
of any agreement of any of said defendants
against such unions. Seventh, from importing o"
engaging agents and servants to import any la
borers into the city of Omaha or state of Ne
braska in pursuance of any plan to destroy labor
organizations or under any similar or new ar
rangement or plan.- Eighth, from bringing any
other injunction suits or actions in pursuance of
any general plan of prosecution to break up labor
unions or any new or similar plan connected di
rectly or indirectly with any such existing plans."
THE POLITICIANS OF THE WORLD HAVE
been considerably agitated recently by Rus
sia s attitude toward Manchuria. In the United
States, new interest was aroused in this situa
tion by the report that Secretary Hay had tele
graphed to President Roosevelt suggesting joint
action on the part of Great Britain, Japan and the
United States in preventing Russia from carry
ing out its Manchurian designs. It was later de
nied that Mr. Hay had sent such a telegram to
the president and from Washington as well as
from London come reports that there is no dis
satisfaction with Russia's actual position. Lon
don authorities report that the Russian govern
ment has said that It would adhere to its en
gagements with respect to Manchuria and that it
has no intention of adopting any measure tending
to exclude foreign consuls or obstructing foreign
commerce or the use of the ports. The Russian
ambassador at Washington says that his govern
ment has not violated any pledge made to an
nation and that whatever steps have been taken
in Manchuria are "only In self-defense."
WHILE THERE ARE A GREAT MANY PEO
pie in the United States who cannot un
derstand why this country should be so deeply
interested in far-away Manchuria as to engagu
with Japan and Great Britain in a joint action
, against Russia, the diplomats and world trader
in our own country appear to imagine that Man
churia is really one of the great problems con
fronting this country. The position of these gen
tlemen is explained on the ground that the trado
of Manchuria is valuable to the United States.
The United States consul at Nluchwang says
this country is much nearer to the United States
than to any other of the great producing nations.
Its trade is now largely in our hands with un
restricted commerce with the United States, we
know no reason for our not continuing to main
tain this supremacy." A writer in the New York
Sun declares that "the trade of Manchuria is
worth negotiating if not fighting for." And this
writer points out that in ten years the increase
of the imports has ranged from 100 to 500 per
cent In 1902 the total value of the export and
Import trade in Niuchwang was 40,000.000, but
large quantities of goods and products entered the
country duty free by way of Port Arthur and
Dalny. Beans, beancake, and bean oil comprise
the chief exports of Manchuria. The export of
grain is restricted, although the Sun writer says
Manchuria promisqs to be one of the great grain
growing countries in the world." It is pointPd
out by this writer that "our great rival is natural
ly Russia. Her. oil sold by the Russo-Chineso
bank is driving out American products and Amer
ican manufacturers will have to be up and doing
to cope with the Russians." And this writer con
cludes that it is therefore plain that Russia will
in time practically dominate the commercial ani
industrial affairs of the province. Even thus in
the presence of this terrible prediction, there are
many people in the United States who decline to
become alarmed and who imagine that after all
Is said, the United States have too many problems
?Lthei own to be drawn into the Manchurian
difficulties.
SOME VERY INTERESTING CONTRIBUTIONS
have been made to Manchurian literature
in the United States. Foi instance, one of the
United States civil service commissioners has been,
persuaded to say that the United States should
adopt "the Manchurian doctrine" which might be
expressed in language similar to that employed in
expressing the Monroe doctrine; for instance,
that the United States could not view any in
terposition in Manchuria in any other light than
as a manifestation of an unfriendly disposition
toward this government" Although" this sugges
tion has been laughed to scorn by many people.
lliras85r,oy81 made and nas been as seriously
J?IVM?ted dd there are some wbo belie
that Secretary Hay really suggested to the presi-
nnS J ?t1 .Yo between Great Britain, Japan
and the United States with respect to Manchuria.
Mr. Hay s predisposition toward joint actions be
tween Great Britain and the United States seeing
SnS?1 yyS t0 discoimt the denials of the
pnr tbat Ir- ?ay sent a telegram to the presi
dent suggesting joint action in this- instance.
A WRITER WHO IS DESCRIBED AS "A
wf?rmeIi.ofli?er ln the United States" has
Sw? S New York World an interesting
fS ?tn respect to the Russian occupation
rLJn ncnurla Tbl -Uer says that Russia will
retain possession, that while the excuse for this
L VE?a.a neessity fr an outlet to the open
11 J imPelinS Purpose is her desire for ex
pans on and doniination-the imperialistic spirit
iLf FVeTnmut Tbis writ warns the
fnrli Statesllnt to become further involved in
Sm!8? SomPlicatiois. The American people are
S3in2S? at ih?y 8hould devote themselves to
h rn 2Lnal afai' 80lvinS the great and press
LfkQrT0!S,f finance and PolIcal economy.
XminEJSS laWS and havins tbem impartially
InSiSLinT3, S(as t0 btlild UP a &e. contented,
Intelligent, and patriotic citizenship." ThU