Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-17
BACKS IAF1ON UNIONS
President Roosevelt Shows
Former Secretary is True
Friend of Labor
SAYS HIS RECORD PROVES 1T
Letter to Steam Shovel Men Officer
Points to Candidates lsthmian Work
Confidence Expressed Weeks Ago
Made Public = President Declares
Union Men Like Taft.

Chicago, Oct. lin a characteristic
letter received yesterday by T. J. Do
Ian. general secretary treasurer of the
International Brotherhood of Steam
Shovel and Dredge Men, President
Roosevelt set forth again his opinion
of Mr.. Taft's position on the union la
Dor question.
The letter, which is n reply to one
sent President Roosevelt by Mr.. Do
Ian, In which the latter said the union
organization was proud of Mr. Taft
as an honorary member of the organ
ization, and because of his well known
friendship for organized unionism, was
made public by Mr.. Dolan.
In the letter to the president Mr..
Dolan said that he regarded Mr.. Roose-
Dor ever had in the White House, and
that as such, the labor men had no
fear he would support any man as his
successor who showed any inclina-
or. any other class of workingmen.
The letter to the president was in
connection with a two column article
praising Mr.. Taft's friendship for or
ganized labor, which appears in the
current number of Steam Shovel and
Dredge. the official publication of the
organization.
Points to Taft's lsthmian Record.
President Roosevelt's letter to Mr..
Dolan follows:
THE White House, Washington, d.
c., Oct, 10, 190S.-My Dear Mr.. Dolan:
have your letter of the 18th instant
and am much pleased with the copy
of the article for your journal which
you inclose. Indeed, you may rest as
sured that if I did not believe that
Taft would occupy just the position
toward organized labor that / have
tried to occupy, and in which you and
/ believe, then, fond tho l am Of him,
l would not back him.
AS you know, I have never for one
moment hesitated to oppose organized
labor on any point where I thought or
ganized labor was wrong; but just as
little do | hesitate to stand up for or
ganized labor when / think it is right.
The administration can we'll afford to
stand on its record of positive achieve
ment for organized labor: and as re-
CARDS the isthmus of Panama, where
we have had most to do with organ
lied labor, that record is Tafts.
You yourself know we'll what the
United States government has done as
regards the worllingmen on the 18TH
mus; thanks largely to Mr.. Taft, the
record of the government at Panama
is that of a model employer, both as
regards wages and hours and as re-
CARDS the housing and care of the em-
ployes.
DANCER in Attack on Taft.
81 do not believe that the laboring
men of this country have ever had in
office a stancher friend than Mr.. Taft
The attack upon him by certain self
constituted political leaders of organ
lied labor, if successful, would in the
long run gravely damage the cause OF
organized labor; for these men are try
ing to persuade the people of this
country that organized labor has in
i terests apart from and hostile to the
| interests of the great mass of the Am
erican people. and such an attitude il
persisted in would inevitably in the enc
result disastrously to organized labor
| itself.
81 believe they will fail in this effort
to misguide their followers and to dc