Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-09-09

Even the men who are the most ready
to concede to Judge Parker all possible
praise for his upright life and his per-
sonal honesty of purpose freely admit
that instead of bringing to the high Office
of President the experience OF an actual
man Of affairs, be would examine aud
decide upon every great question merely
as judge does, upon general principles
and without much regard to the ordinary
conditions of life. This inexperience Of
Judge Parker. his evident inability to un-
derstand the tremendous conflict now go-
ing on between capital and labor. and
his significant silence on this subject in
speech which was full of mere specu-
lation on general principles. has had an
extraordinary influence upon the men in
control of the great labor organizations,
and while they will continue 10 keep
those organizations out OF politics, they
do not hesitate to express their own opin-
ions as to the the course to be pursued
by the friends of organized labor gen
orally in the coming campaign.
Views of Mr.. Debs.
In recent interview. Eugene V. Debs.
who is the Socialist candidate for Presi-
dent and who represents a certain strong
element in the labor camp. gave express
sion to very general sentiment among
the members of labor unions, which is
universally hostile to the nomination OF
Henry g. Davis of West Virginia as the
Democratic candidate for second place
on the ticket with Judge Parker.
An important factor in causing deser-
tons from the Democratic party" said
Mr.. Debs in the interview referred to,
.'is' the fact that Henry G. Davis. the
vice presidential candidate. has always
been violently opposed to organized la
bor refusing to allow his own employees
to join labor unions, and being mainly
instrumental in bringing the court in
functions in West Virginia issued against
labor unions. particularly those who were
trying to organize the coal miners in that
State"
In sharp contrast with the silence of
Judge Parker and the open hostility of
Senator Davis is the record of President
Roosevelt, who has stood for the laboring
man at all times and who has never hes
itated to declare himself on this subject.
Ii is no political clap-trap which inhu-
ences the President of the United States,
whenever he gets off a train, day or
night, to walk to the head of the plat
form to shake hands with the engineer
and fireman. 1t is as natural TO him as
it would be to shake hands with any of
the great men of the nation. because he
is essentially democratic and because.
from his cowboy days onward. he has
made friends of those about him, what
ever might be their rank in the social
or industrial world. He was never shut
up in study he has always lived among
men. he has become acquainted with the
industrial problems of the age. and his
record on this subject is singularly in
contrast with that of his Democratic OPP
ponent.
Rooseve1t's Declaration.
When Mr. Roosevelt, at his home on
Sagmore Hill, accepted the nomination
made by the Republican convention at
Chicago. he was silent upon nothing.
He expressed his views on every subject
with entire frankness. and the clearness
and the honesty of his declaration on the
labor question seem to have won for
him the profound confidence of the heads
of the great trade organizations, whose
alternating currents pulsate so visibly
here at the Hoosier capital. More than
one of these leaders carries a little card.
on which is printed President Roose-
velt's declaration on the la Dor question.
in his speech Of acceptance. which reads
as follows:
''We recognize the organization of cap
ital and the organization of labor as nat
ural outcomes of our industrial system.
Each kind of organization is to be fav-
ored, so long as it acts in u spirit of JUS
tice and of regard for the rights of 9TH
ers. Each is to be granted the full pro-
lection of the law, and each in turn is
to be held to a strict obedience to the
law, for no man is above it, and no man
below it. The humblest individual is to
have his rights safeguarded as scrupu-
lousy as those of the strongest organiza-
ton, for each is to receive justice, no
more and no less. The problems with
which we have to deal in our modern in
dustrial and social life are manifold, but
the spirit in which it is necessary to APP
proach their solution is simply the spirit
of honesty, of courage and of common
sense"