The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1908-10-15

Advice Given in Judge Taft's Decision
Adopted by the Railway 8rother-
hoods-Denocrstic Politicians
Trickery to Deceive the Toilers. =
The members Of the various brother
hoods connected with the great rail
road systems of the country are gen
orally regarded as possessing more
than the average degree of inteIli-
gence. Their calIiugS and the obliga-
tons Sprn@ing from those callin-s
make the possession by them of Il high
order Of Intelligence Indispensable
Notwithstanding this fact the same
system of absurd falschood is relied on
70 deceive and trick them into with
drawing their support from the Repub-
lican party that Is in general Use by
Democratic politicians to influence even
the commGnest and most ignorant of
the unskillcl lahorcrs of the country.
One form which this system of trick
cry most frequently takes is that Of
limiting at what terrible things VIII
liam II. Taft did against labor organ
Eation and its members while he was
on the bench.
The one official act and declaration
Of Judge Taft which is being used in
that way on railroad men is his deci-
sion in what is known as the Toledo
Ann ArhOr case. Yet in that case
through his decision Judge Taft rem
dcrcd an actual. tangible and really
Invaluable service to the cause Of labor
organization. His advice given to labor
organizations in that case has been
generally adopted by the various broth
erho0dS and their members One Of
the rules of a great labor organization,
the Brotherhood of Engineers, which
was the cause of the trouble Wule ~
has long since been voluntarily drop
ped as being contrary to the best inter-
ests of both the public and the organ
iZation itself.
More than all that. Judge Taft's de-
ciSion in the TOledo-Ann Arbor case
contains as good, broad and sound la
Dor doctrine as ever found its way into
print.
Now, what was that Tocdo-Ann Ar
hos case? Most enlightened railroad
men know all about it. Many Of them.
particularly the younger generation Of
them. do not
y strike of locomotive engineers pre-.
vailed on the Toledo, Ann Arbor and
North Michigan railway. One of the
rules of the brotherhood rule l., re.
quired in substance that when so or
dercd by the head Of the organization
the men Of the brotherhood or other
roads should refuse to handle the GAss
of the road on which the strike
vailed ~
This rule was dangerous one. 1t
probably never should have been
adopted. The attempt TO enforce il in
this case brought eight or ten railroads
into court. They sought protection
against what on its face was at least
an unwise policy for any body Of men
to adopt and involved in operation a
possible stonpage Of the carrying com
merce Of the entire country.
1t was case of sympathetic strike.
And the sympathetic strike stands to-
day, from choice, rcpudiated by all re-
SponSible organizations of laboring PEG.
pie and their members.
The principal outcome of that Ann
Arbor case was that the right of en-
pIoyees to leave their employment
whenever dissatisfied with its condi-
tons was fixed beyond all possible flu
ture question and some admirable adj
vice given to the members of the or
ganization, to which they have faith
fully lived up, both individually and
collectively, since.
I'VE wish to make plain If we can"
said Judge Taft in his decision. TO the
intelligent and generally law abiding
men who compose the Brotherhood Of
Locomotive Engineers, as well as to
their usually conservative chief officer,
what we cannot believe they appreci-
ate-that. Notwithstanding their per-
feet organization and their charitable,
temperance and other elevating and
most useful purposes, the existence and
enforcement of rule T. under their or
ganic law make the whole brotherhood
criminal conspiracy against the laws
Of the country"
That the rendering of this decision
by Judge Taft was then. in result an
enduring service to all railroad men
instead of embodying anything CON
tiicting with their rights and privileges
before the law must appear plain to
any ordinary man. If there still re-
manned any doubt on that score it
would he removed by the reflection
that the rules laid down 10y Judge Taft
in that case arc now made part Of
the c:.tracts and agreements of all
great r. 'oG1 brotherhoods