The sun., 1908-05-13
Again Like a Crab, Backward.

labor policies as sought to legallze the
-peaceable' boycott and TO cripple the
courts by impairing the writ Of injunction
His retreat is accompanied by a character.
stic semi-ofiicial statement, thus reported
by our contemporary the New York Times
At the Interview In the white House the Presl
dent pointed out that the demand for labor leElS
hton had greatly diminished since Il became Ap
parent that whatever measure might hnaly be
pat through Congress would be free from partisan
proylSlons. Even the Civic Federation bill. said
MI TOWNSEND. which was introduced BY Rep.
r',entatlve HEPBURN, met with severe criticism
Al the hands Of President GoMPERs while every
hill bearing on lnIunctons has been at once con
dsmned
II is the opinion Of the President that the ab
sence Of any general expression on the bills from
the rank and file Of labor means simply that there
Is no real demand for immediate legislation. lie
and Mr.. TOWNSEND came easily to an agreement on
the point that the demand was in the nrst place
slarted by GoHPERs and lew leaders and that
subsequently, these leaders KILLED whatever chance
there might have been for the enactment Of labor
legislation
The disingenuOusness of this position
is remarkable, even for the most adroit
political acrobat in the history Of Amer
lean politics For nearly four years Mr..
ROOSEVELT has by regular message, by
special message by official statements,
by semi-ofloial statements, by inspired
declarations, by semi-inspired declara-
tons, by letters to congressman and
interviews with labor Leaders vehemently
assevefated that the demands Of organ
ized labor were not only legitimate but
~ insistent that they could not safely be
ignored. As recently az April a. 1908,
Mr. ROOSEVELT reminded Congress-
They are blind who fall to realize the extreme
bitterness CAUSED among large bodies OF worthy
cIuTens by the use that has bcen repeatedly made
NJ The power Of injunction In labor disputes
SO certain was he then that the great
majority Of the American people de-
Inanded this radical legislation that he
gave this popular mandate IA the chief
reason for the passage Of the laws, and
added:
In democracy like ours II Is Idle to expect per.
1ansntly TO thwart the determination Of the great
ody Of our citizens"
Now, only a fortnight later, we are
lSsured:
The absence OF any senersl expression on the
bills from the rank and Ole Of labor means simply
that there Is no real demand for immediate ltgls
latloh."
In view Of the fact that the labor
leaders after the Danbury Hat decision
was announced met in extraordinary
session in the city Of Washington and
insistently demanded the immediate
enactment Of Mr.. RoOsRyELT's radical
labor policies, the fact that mass meet
ings were subsequently held in nearly
every city Of the country to express this
demand, and the fact that Congress has
for months past been deluged by petit
tions, letters and kilograms from trade
unions the Presidents bold assumption
. that there is no real demand for imme-
date legislation makes up in bravado
what 1t lacks In sincerity.
The reason for this extraordinary |
change Of front is not far TO seek. In
The interval between April 27, when the
President was 30 impressed with "the
extreme bitterness Of large bodies Of
worthy citizens, and May II, when we
we're advised that there Is no real de-
mand for immediate legislation" the
OF this country became
aroused as they have rarely been aroused
before 1t is stated that 10000 letters
and kilograms Of protest have flooded
the White House within the space Of a
few days. The National Association of
through their vigorous
and militant president, j, W. VAN CLEAvE,
sounded a trumpet blast not merely of
protest but Of defiance. He announced
hat the employers Of America, who had
heretofore sat silently and watched with
.mazement and indignation the attempt
o betray them az well as the Independent
manual toiler to the tyranny Of the labor
rust. we're now determined to wage
-elentless war upon the demagogues
Who plotted their destruction. Mr. VAN
LEAVE, who had brayely fought the
sucks Stove case 10 a successful con-
iUsion and established the unlswfulness
4 the "unfair list, publicly reminded
resident ROOSEVELT Of the conditions !
i 1896, when the Democratic party
made similar attempt to make a pOliti-
al issue of government by Injunction,
nd the political revolt Of Unprecedented
dimensions that promptly followed.
For this revolt Of Republican manu-
acturers the President was not pre-
'ared. He had supposed that between
hem and the Republican party was a
ligature which would
ind them in loyalty no matter how
.ravely they might be menaoed by 4
adical labor policies. The President sud
enly saw a new light and with his Gus /
DmEry agility promptly began a retreat,
,aving his dismnycd labor associates 10 4