New-York tribune., 1908-10-29
TAFT In COOPER UNION
PLACES LABOR'S DUTY
Continued from first page


ocratic party that active sympathy with labor
in doing things for its interest that entities
il to the support of abor- In their platforms
and in their declarations they fun of sym
pathy for the laboring man. but In statutes
passed, in work accomplished their record is
nothing.
But IL is said that the attitude Of the Repub-
lcan party toward labor in the matter Of in
functions in industrial disputes is hostile 10
labor. The representatives of labor have con-
tended that the power of injunctons has been
sometimes abused in that the injunctions pre-
venting freedom OF action in industrial disputes
by striking employees and the officers Of labor
organizations have been much too wide In their
scope.
In a number of instances this is true and the
Republican convention, for the purpose of call
ing the attention of judges 10 the necessity of
greater care in this matter inserted plank in
the platform requiring that the best approved
practice in the matter of injunctions should be
embodied in a mandatory statute. Under this
plank IL IS poSslple 10 dooPt d tdlute S riCn
shall specify the few instances in which In
functions without notice can be issued, and
which shall provide that iniunctions issued with
out notice shall not last more than a certain
and a short time, and thereafter shall cease to
be operative unless meantime a hearing by
both parties is had before the court. In this
way It is that the abuses in the matter of IN
functions of too wide scope can be avoided.
DEMOCRATIC PLANK MEANINGLESS.
have been willing myself TO provide that no
injunctions should be issued without notice, but
il was thought too drastic a reform, and to take
away all remedy in certain cases where, unless
injunctions could be issued without notice, no
remedy would exist at all The Democratic
platform resolves that injunctionS ought not TO
issue in industrial disputes in cases in which
they would not issue in other disputes This
plank is meaningless if read literally, because
no one ever contended that the fact that q dis
pute was industrial was a ground for Issuing
an Injunction in equity II 1t was INTENDED to
mean more than this then IL is deceitful
We NAV infer from the recently issued circu
lar by Mr.. Samuel Gornpers that 1t was intended
TO mean more than this, and that It was in
tended to accomplish the purposes declared in a
hin Introduced at Mr. Gompers's instance, and
which he says embodies the demand Of labor
This bill contains two sectlons Inc hrst sec
tion forbids the issuing Of an injunction in IN
dustrtal disputes in all cases except where an
sriurv 70 property is threatened, and II provides
specjfically that injury to a mans business
Sc not an injury to his property right In other
words it forbids the issuing Of injunctons to
prevent the injury or destruction OF mans
business
equity did not permit the issuing Of an ln1unc-
ton 20 protect mans business ron @ if;uIy, ny.
decision of the Supreme Court or the Onlteo
states and Of all other courts Of any standing
IN the community, is contrary to his position,
and we may well submit to laynen whether
business built up by hard work attention to
customers, in which good VIII mas Deen
eerne6 such that il can be sold at auction, is
not a right of property or pecuniary nature
such as ought TO be protected by the usual rem
edies of law and equity II Is Just as Va4uaDle ne
the stock of goods on the shelf and to remove 1t
from protection Of equity right in 1ndustr1al
disputes Is class leSisia'4'ii VI '
nicious character
NOT BENEFICIAL TO LABOR
Of all things not beneficial TO the laboring
man IS legislation which operates on him as a
class and seeks TO give him privilege or lrnraun-
~ that ia not enjoyed by other members of the
ooSnnIInitv and that is exactly what this pro-
vision as interpreted by Mr.. Gompers and as
understood by Mr.. Bryan is TO mean When II Is
70 he acted upon in the national Congress.
The President in a very apt letter has asked
NJ Bryan to state his position, whether the
platform as he reads does LavoF - OtT hs bI or
whether IT means nothing, as 1t would seem 10
mean when literally read we nave as yet ho
answer from Mr.. Bryan on this subject
But il is said that the attitude OF the Repuo-
Iicen candidate for the Presidency Is hostlle 70
labor. deny this There Is no i4 man 1ba IA %
nurnoses of labor IN organizing for It's own pro-
lection and in seeking to maintain the rate OF
wages and other favorable Terms o. roSer Of
cases I have had decide against labor; 5ust
es in a number Of cases haye mao 70 ueo-u0
Tha ,1eetions turn on the particular set Of
circumstances and evidence and the !aW as ap
piled TO them and II as 3nose o+ber LaT should
NOT now be entitled TO the support OF the people
at large for the Presidency; out am sur, sure II
Iii he found upon examination OF my opinions
tbat T lad down the law with impartiallty' Wlth-
out fear or favor and without regard 10 @ @the
question whether plaintlHs or oeIenta1lIS . "ede G
corporations labor1ns iheI' business -
professional men -. - !.
II is now charged by Mr.. Bryan that my de-
sire TO oppress labor Is SHOWN because aa GLe aoe
instsnca during the very hard times OF 1884 80
7 declined to modify an order OF the receiver
annojnted by my court reducing the wages oI
ernnloves of q railway company 10 per cent
That IS true But II was because the oroer haa
onIv beer made In the extremity presented by
the denIora bic business conditions OF that tune
and the peculiar circumstances under Whlcn mo
road was being operated
REVIEWS LABOR DECISIONS
Judge Taft then summarized his decisions
while on the bench bearing on labor. and pointed
ou, that some Of them have since been adopted
nv the labor unions as bulwarks Of their organi-
cations. These decisions have been set forth
,,r.on several occasions in Judge Tafts speeches
and have been printed in detail in The Tribune
Judge Taft then continued:
have not always been on the bench. and my
relations have not been confined 10 1udlclal oe-
cisions. When 1 was Governor or the fhIHp
zines 7 took occasion to encourage, as far as
I,ossible the organization of labor unions on
nroy,sr principles, and to bring about conoiuoh
~ law there equivalent TO that which now eh-
fs,s in America The head OF the American
bead Of the Miners Union. to investigate. ana
he made report favorable 10 the atutuue OF Iie
civil Governor of the islands toward trane
unionism. 49, u.,ar,a
Again. when was In charge OF the Panaiia
canal and its construction for four yearh na1
,,cb m do with labor and, as already ssdo'
bad 70 FIX wages and agree upon the terms oa
ay,nlovrnent when appeal was HkeH 70 n. Ii.'
- ,he men The report OF the LABOR lnVesusaI-
a., commission and the action OF the otoois
9, ohV araantzstion already referred TO, would
ue CnetI 90 indicate that had not been unfair 10
labor there .sac,,nz tha Rail-