La Junta tribune., 1904-09-10
. Democracy and its Candidate
Found Wanting in Sympathy
for Wage-Earners.
JUDGE PARKER WAS SILENT
while Presideat Roosevelt Was fSsak
as1 Siseere ID Expressing Min.
sell - the Lsbes Qsestioa-
Views Of Les1ess.

indianapolis, Ind. Sept 2-This place
l. rapidly becoming the industrial center
of the country, so far as organized labor
is concerned II Is q curious thing that
In this capital of an original agricultural
State there should gradually come to be
conferred the active influences which con-
troll the greatest industrial organizations
In the world. indianapolis has long
been q great railroad center. and for that
reason it has been q favorite meeting
place for the heads Of the great trans
portation organizations The State also
contains splendid coal mines. and TINS
has given Indiana q potent voice in the
settlement Of labor disputes Of this char
acter. John Mitchell. Eugene v. Debs
and other men who have had much to do
with the control of the labor market.
have had their headquarters here at one
time or another. until OF late II has be-
come generally recognized that the head
center OF organized labor may BE- found
here rather than in Chicago or New
York, which are so much larger from .
manufacturing standpoint.
labor Leaders Chagrined.
It Il no secret here that the labor
leaders representing the greatest indus
trial organizations are surprised and cha
grined at the extraordinary treatment
they have received from the Democratic
organization this year. That party has
always posed In n peculiar degree ~ the
friend OF the iaboring man. the benefac-
tor OF the masses, md the good angel of
the poor man. 1t has never done much
for the laboring man. II 10 true. but a.
rule Il has never failed to proclaim it's
love for him and to invite him In turn
to assist 1t In recovering the power 1t
had forfeited through mismanagement
and inca apacity.
There was no representation Of organ
lied labor at the st. Louis convention
this year. because il was felt II would be
better to let the two parties declare
themselves on the labor question, and
then II would he possible to make an
honest choice between them.
II was apparent long In advance of
the St. Louis convention that the Demo-
cratic nominee would be Judge Alton h.
Parker Of New York. He was entirely
an unknown quantity to the labor lead
ern. and they were willing In common
fairness to give him q chance to express
himself. They were quite well aware Of
the fact that Judge Parker. in a cele-
brated opinion declared unconstitutional
the eight-hour law passed BY the New
York Legislature. That law, as everyone
knew. was passed Mt the express request
. Of the labor leaders, who had their rep
scsentatives ut Albany for many weeks.
working for 1t day and night. The de-
cision handed down by Judge Parker was
q bitter disappointment. but the men at
the head of the great trade organiza-
tioDs Of the United States nowadays are
= sober, sensible leaders. They were quite
ready to believe that Judge Parker's
decision was based wholly upon the law
in the case. and that 1t would be unfair
to attack him Oh that account
Deceived and enubbed.
For this reason the representatives Of
: the mine workers, OF the railroad men.
Of the packing house men, of the build
Ing trades, and Of other great labor or
ganizations, waited with confidence for
Judge Parker's speech Of acceptance.
They argued that II would BE- unfair TO
Judge him while he was on the bench and
while he was keeping his self-imposed
row Of absolute silence. They were con-
6dent that when his lips were unseaIed
he would make il evident to the labor
world at once that he was q strong friend
] and champion of organized labor. and
that his decision In opposition to the
eixht- hour law was not born Of any per
sonal pfeju11re.
The surprise and indignation Of the
conservative labor leaders when they
. read Judge Parker's speech Of accept
ance cannot be described. They felt
they had been deceived and snubbed. be-
cause he devoted not q word to the in
terests Of Organized Labor. Instead OF
calling attention to the good results Of
upiouism and proclaiming the doctrine
that the laboring man has - much right
l-to organise as the capitalist, the Dems-
cratic candidate for the pfoG1deocy con,
tented himself with judicial dissertation
% what Liberty means, winding up with
q declaration that The essence Of good
euvernment lies In strict Observance Of
rcopstitutjoual limitations" but without
one word Of commendation for the hon
81 lahoring man who II proRriy endeav-
crinx 70 resist the encroaehdbents Of un-
scrupuIous employers and to secure fair
vaee whsn Il 10 once fairly earned, and
who knows bot little about eosstttutions.
Pasksr Uaassoa Ssg Rrsss1sney.
Anong god many of the labee Lead
en- Jndes Pafker's extfaordfnafy dIeAee
% ths iaboe question has I'D thea % the
, coaelusisa that be = manifestly snatted
for H. great once - asptreo - M
Ther nnisf ont the fact that for ds8es
yeafp q more be has lived life apart
sfrua H. people, shut up in the seciusioe
e ~ NV IihraSy. whefs he has fosDu-
lstea abstract opinions % questions q
siehf a. wroas. but where he has lad
= spVsessnity to IeAn tie ways Of the
woesl They feel that Il woah b
Amunf usGenke to put into the once OF
Prxufswe e the United States. whefe DE-
eiseoaD - nnkfess Of great nomenf are
Aaily rsQulrsd, . nan who has 10 pns
steel hnSVleaos ef tie industrta1 eoedi-
sisan UAsrA hvs szUwn - = this eosn-
~ anee ~ savlne e IL ~ sesspes
- ~ teessg 90.