The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-12
says Also that Their Attitude Is Due
20 the Republican Partnership with
the sRobber Tarfn' Idea.
MILD REBUKE FOR ROOSEVELT
HE SAYS THE PRESIDENT sACRI-
FIcED PRESTIGE OF HIS OFFICE
Other Features of an Address at Bos-
Campaign for the BrOoklynites.

bOolON, OCl. 1I-OUe u the ~
the present State campaign was the dinner
which the Democratic Club of Massaehu-
sets rendered tonight to Colonel William
A CASTOR. the party's candidate for Gov
ernor. Over go party followers listened TO
speeches by Richard Olney, former secre-
tary OF state; Charles s. Hamlih, Josiah
Quincy. John r. Thayer. congressman from
the Third district; Henry II. Hollis, Demo-
cratic candidate for Governor In New
Hampshire, and Colonel CASTOR.
Col. CASTOR. who was the first speaker.
briefly reviewed the history of tariff revi-
sion since 1870 He said that he believed
the people of Massachusetts favored rea-
sonable revision and the abolition of duties
on trust-controlled articles. He called at
tention TO the action Of several Republican
congressional candidates more or less IA
voring such revision.
Undoubtedly the speech of the evening
was that delivered by Mr.. Olney. who was
cheered for some minutes when he arose.
Many greeted him as the next President.
lfr. Olney spoke in part as follows:
1.-THE vital principle as well as distin-
gushing merit of our political institutions
consists in liberty regulated by law. With
the exception of two Cleveland administra-
troll of the national government for pc
riod OF more than forty years. Where 1t
has landed US as respects liberty, will not
now consider. But where has it landed US
as respects law, which has no right TO the
name unless it IS the same for the million
aire and for the beggar?
1.-THE signs of the times are that under
the regime OF the Republican party, and
through the national governments forty
years Of partnership with the protected in
dustries, We have come TO pass where
public officials well as private citizens
deem themselves above the law. Witness
the jealous haste with which the treasury
PUSHES to the relief Of Wall street specula-
tors by a novel and forced construction of
the national banking law Witness the as
tonishing proceeding OF the same depart
ment in its instructions to subordinate Off
GERS respecting the duties 10 be collected
on coal. But the generally lawless atmos-
phere in which the Republican protection
reign has enveloped US Is even more strik-
tngly illustrated by the recent presidential
demonstration upon the coal strike! There
are those who say that as the President
disclaimed any official duty or relation to
the matter he should not have interfered.
There Is something 10 be said for that
view. Though his office Is charged with
great functions and invested with great
powers, the President IS constitutional
officer whose sphere OF action is strictly
limited by law: Within that sphere he is
well-nigh absolute-without he is legally
fmpotent When, therefore, he goes with
out Ii, the danger is that he may fail and
be defed and that his great Office may lose
bic Of performing its legitimate duties.
The President. for example, is our repre-
sentative with foreign powers. VIII it
strengthen his hands that some half a
dozen private citizens are found swapping
their fingers in his face? The President
overture TO the coal operators was prompt
ed by the best motives and should have been
treated with respectful consideration. 1t
might have been declined courteously, even
II firmly
"But the opportunity to administer a
snub TO the President was too tempting
Accordingly, he was not only treated a
rash intermeddler ne was also Iectured on
the law and facts Of the case, and, to
crown all, was notified that the cause of
the troubles was lawlessness which he was
sarcastically invited TO suppress.
For sheer audacity this attitude of the
coal operators could hardly be matched
and nothing could more strongly emphasize
the disrepute into which the law of the
land has been brought by long-continued
Republican domination. '-s
yet who are they who were so insistent
upon the suppression of lawlessness in the
mining regions? Why, the most unblush-
ing and persistent of lawbreakers. For
years they have defied the law Of Penn
sylvania which forbids common carriers
engaging in the business of mining For
years they have Disseminated between GUS
toners in the freight charges on their rail-
roads in violation OF the interstate-com-
merce law. For years they have unIaw-
fully mOnOp0liZed interstate commerce in
violation Of the Sherman antitrust law.
Indeed, the very best excuse and expIana-
ton of their astonishing attitude at the
Washington conference is that. having vio-
lated SO many laws for SO long and so
many times, they might rightfullv think
they were wholly immune from either pun
ishment or repFoach. ~
1T Is sometimes urged in extenuation of
the coal operators foolishly offensive tone
at the conference that they were enraged
At the recognition OF labor unions and the
presence by invitation of their representa-
tives. III that be so, they must be as blind
10 the salient facts of the era they are
living in as they are oblivious of legal OBJ
legations.
In these days OF combination by capital
on a scale and to an extent as startling as
IL Is unprecedented. can they possibly i'm
agine that labor is TO be denied an equiva-
lent right Of combination? If they do II
IS only another instance of their com plete
Indifference 70. the law OF the land.
In 1S94 receivers Of a railroad were
s brought into court on claim that Ia
borers ought not TO be discharged because
OF their membership of tabor unions
Though the court was a federal court il
sat in Pennsylvania and the petitioners
got nothing from that court. But what
f0ilowed7 In year or two PENNSYLVANIA
made it criminal offense TO deprive a man
of work because he belonged TO labor
union. In 1S9S Congress not only did the
same thing. but, I'm statute providing for
the arbitration of labor disputes, expressly
made labor organizations parties to such
arbitration. This was in addition TO the
previous legislation by Congress .encour-
aging and providing for the Incorporation
of labor unions. In ignoring them. theref-