N Tuesday, July 15, a

special Congressional

election will be con-
ducted ine one of the Dis-
tricts of the City of Baltimore.
One of the candidates, Judge
Ed Garmatz, has been officially
approved and endorsed by the
CIO Political Action Committee
for the State of Maryland. The
eandidate for the opposition
party is notorious among the
working men and women of
Baltimore for his anti-union
views and activities.

The CIO has been requested
by representatives of its mem-
bers within the Congressional
District involved in this elec
tion to give publicity to the ac-
tion of the State PAC and to
urge that members of CIO
unions in the District cast their
votes for Judge Garmatz.

e
pees Congress of the United

; States, however, has recently
enacted a law, commonly
known and referred to as the
Taft-Hartley Act. This law pur-
ports to make it illegal for Am-
erican working men and wom-
en organized into labor organ-
izations and acting through their
duly elected officers to expend
their common funds to make
their views heard and known
in matters relating to elections
for federal office.

Senator Taft, the foremost
sponsor of the new law,

| N 1833 the “reform Min-
istry” showed signs of
‘ wishing to crush the

pardoned after a petition
signed by 240,000 and protest
meetings attended by 400,000.

In 1831-2 there was a gen-
_ eral movement among the work-
ing classes for an advance in
wages, in which even the down-
trodden - agricultural laborers
took part. The laborers of Tol-
puddle solicited an advance, and
met their employers to nego-
_ tiate’ The latter agreed to con-
cede the same rates as were
paid by other farmers in the

 @istrict. With this promise the

men returned to work. But the
promise was not kept. The em-
ployers refused to give more
than 9s. per week, though other
farmers in the neighborhood
gave 10s., or its equivalent, to
their men. In the following
year, 1833, these employers of
_ Tolpuddle reduced the men’s
wages again to 8s. per week
The men continued working
but they were embittered by
_Yeason of broken promises and
injustice. Their wages were fur-
_ ther reduced to 7s. per week,

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1947

current election issues and can-
didates.
&

' HAVE been reared in a tra-

dition of respect for the law
ot the land. In my public and
private life I have adhered re-
ligiously to_ the principles of
that training. Consistent with
these principles I deem it the
duty of citizenship to abide by
and respect the highest law of
the land—the Constitution of
the United States.

It has always been my under-
standing that that document
guarantees the basic American
rights of free speech, free press,

. free assemblage and forbids the

denial of life, liberty or prop-
erty without due process of law.
Those guarantees and those pro-
tections, I am advised and
firmly believe, are and must
be available to all without dis-
tinction, caste or class.

I am advised and firmly be-
lieve that they are rights and
protections to which the work-
ing men and women of this
country, the members of labor
unions, the members of CIO
unions, are fully entitled.

PHILIP MURRAY

If the Taft-Hartley Act means
what it has been proclaimed to
mean, it flagrantly flaunts
fundamental principles which
kave been cornerstones of Am-
erican tradition and American
freedom ever since the found-
ing of our great nation.

I believe that I would be
remiss in the performance of
my duties as an American citizen
if I did not speak and act firmly

‘cal freedom

by PHILIP MURRAY

Pres ident, Congress of Ind

ae

ustrial Organization

in support of those great tradi-
tions and those vital freedoms
which have made America what
it is today.

Under the procedures of our
courts it is possible to strike
down unconstitutional laws only
by taking affirmative action in

reliance on and in the exercise
of the liberties guaranteed by
the Constitution. This I have de-
cided to do.

curb basic liberties, and in @
spirit of hope and trust that
the courts of the United States
will vindicate those liberties.

I therefore have directed and
requested the editor of the CIO
NEWS to publish this statement,
including the following para-
graphs, and to give to this issue
of the CIO NEWS proper cir-
culation among the members of
CIO unions in the City of
Baltimore and, particularly with-
in the Congressional District in

|

Spa cane of the similar principles: involved rather than the

differences between

the labor-shackling Taft-Hartley

Bill

passed by the U.S. Coumgress and our own Bill 39 or the Indus-
trial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, the statement of policy
by CIO President Philip Murray is of vital interest to the.
workers of BC regardless of affiliation.

British Columbia labor would be well advised to heed and
apply President Murray’s policy against ae 89 and its tory-

liberal propagators.

* To unite to defeat the Anscomb-Hart Coalition as did the
CIO and AFL workers in Baltimore, to score the first victory
in a Congressional election with their candidate Judge Ed
Garmatz against the Taft-Hartley slave pact. :

ee

HAVE made this decision not
in a spirit of defiance or
bravado or bitterness. Rather
do I act in a spirit of regret
that the Congress of the United

States should have chosen to

he Tolpuddle martyrs - 1947

and they were told that a fur-
ther reduction to 6s. per week
would follow. Then it was that
the men tried to form a trade
union, one of them having heard
of such organizations. In Octob-
er, 1833, two delegates of a
trade union visited the village,
and a union was formed. Mem-
bers of trade unions at that
date, like members of old guilds,
or friendly societies, of Free-
masons, Orangemen, and others,
formulated an oath of fidelity,
nothing treasonable in it — a
simple declaration, on oath, to
abide by the rules, not to di-
vulge the business, and to be
faithful to each other.

On December 9, 1833, a ‘com-
mon informer,’ named Edward
Legg, attended the lodge meet-
ing, and asked to be admitted
as a member. On February 21,
1834, a new kind of proclama-

EMILE
“It is a fundamental law of

life that a strong idea is merely
strengthened by persecution.” —
Henry A. Wallace. -

ARMREST

tion, or placard, was issued by
the magistrates and posted up,
cautioning men as to combina-
tions, and threatening them
with seven years’ transportation
if they joined the union.

George Loveless obtained a
copy and read it. He says, “This
was the first time that I had
heard of any law being in exis-
tence to forbid such societies.”
This notice, issued by the jus-
tices, eight years after the
Combination Laws had been re-
pealed, was, in fact, an unlaw-
ful act,

e

February 24, as George
Loveless was going to work

in the early morning, the parish
constable met him and said, “I
have a warrant for you from
the magistrates.” His five com-
panions had been similarly ap-
prehended, and all of them, with

constable another,
pane seven ie ae Dorches-
ter, where James Frampton and
one other justice received them,
Legg the informer being pres-

.ent to give evidence.

On March i, they’ were
brought before the bench, Legg
again being the sole witness,
when they were committed for
trial. They were tried on March
15 at the County Hall, when
another witness was produced
by the name of Lock. Efforts

were made by justices, lawyers,

parsons, and others to induce
someone or other of those six
men to give evidence against the
others. They all refused, though
freedom was offered as a re-
ward. Every page in the lives
of these men were ransacked
in order to discover something
to their disadvantage. The
Search failed. Even their em-
ployers had to admit that they
were honest, sober, industrious
men. They had indeed been
guilty of one grave offense that
told against them. They were
Methodists, some of them local
preachers—a shocking offense in
those days in many villages,
especially in Dorset and other
West Counties. Indeed, next to

poaching, it was gravest of all .

offenses.

In order to ensure conviction,
the Act of 37 Geo. III., c. 123,
was called into requisition. This
was an act passed in 1796-7 for
the suppression of mutiny among
marines and seamen, caused by
the Mutiny of the Nore. The
judge—Baron John Williams,
then recently appointed—is re-
ported to have said: “If such
societies were allowed to exist,
it would ruin masters, cause
stagnation in trade, destroy
property, and if they (the jury)
should not find the prisoners
guilty, he was certain they
would forfeit the good opinion
of the grand jury.

A verdict of guilty was re-
turned. How, indeed, could it
be otherwise? “The grand jury

were landowners;.the petty jury
land-renters.” The prisoners be-
ing asked if they had anything
to say, Loveless, on behalf of
all, repudiated any unlawful in-
tention. He said: “We have in-
jured no man’s_ reputation,
character, person, or property;
we were uniting together to pre-
serve ourselves, our wives and
cur children from utter degrada-

tion. We challenge any man or,

number of men, to prove~that
we have acted, or intended to
act, different from the above
statement.”
®

es was the dignified reply.

As the judge was about to
prnounce sentence, one of the
counsel arose and protested. He
Geclared that not one of the
charges brought against any of
the prisoners at the bar had
been proved, and that a great
number of persons were dis-
satisfied adding that he him-
self was one.

Two days later they were
again placed at the bar to re-
ceive sentence. The learned
judge told them “that not for
anything they had, or intended

‘to do, but as an example to

others, he considered it his duty
to pass sentence of seven
years transportation across his
majesty’s high seas, upon each
and every one of the prisoners.”

The prisoners were handcuffed
and guarded back to prison.
Loveless was taken ill in his
dungeon and was carried to a
hospital. His companions were
hurried off to the hulks at
Portsmouth. The doctor and one
of the magistrates plied Love-
less with questions in the hos-
pital, the latter insulting him
because of what he was pleased
to call his ‘obstinacy.’ On his
arrival at Portsmouth he was
rather appalled by the sight of
the hulks, the clanking of
chains, and the stripped men.
(G. Howell, summarizing the
account by Loveless.)

which this election is scheduled
to take place.
|

{ foo! Taft-Hartley Act has im-
posed upon American workers
and their homes untold ills and
hardships which threaten their
living and working standards
and the very existence of their
organizations. The evils of this
law have become well know?
to members of our unions
throughout the length and _
breath of our land. It is vital
for the preservation of the liv-
ing standards of America that
this law be repealed.

It is apparently the judgment
of the CIO members and lead-
ers in the City of Baltimore
that Judge Garmatz is a candi-
date whose record, experience
and understanding are such
he may be expected to appre-
ciate the evils of this law and
to act in the public interest
for its repeal. The CIO NEWS
belongs to the members of the

CIO and serves as the organ

of expression for the principles

and views democratically saan i

ed by its members and _ affili-
ates.

In performance of my duty 45
President of CIO,
open the pages of this publica
tion to an expression of views —
of the CIO membership i?
Baltimore. :

In accordance with their deci

sion and request I take oppor —
tunity to urge that all members

. ef CIO residing and voting i

the Congressional District i2
which this election is schedul

to take place cast their votes’

for Judge Garmatz, and make ©
every effort to bring thei

neighbors and friends and to

persons eligible to vote in tht —
election a full understanding of —
the issues involved and of the.
importance of voting for Juag?
Garmatz. ;

I Gemly. believe that the ac:
tion which I now take is’ fullY —
legal under. the law of our jand.
It is my understanding that thé

issue as to whether proper *@

spect will be paid to the fund® —
mental guarantees and principles —
of our Constitution must DOW
rest in the hands of the law
forcement agencies of the fe

? eral government.

(—Reprintea from CIO News?
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE

I therefore —