The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-09-26
Roosevelt 0om1nends Taft to the
Wage Earning Glasses Of
Z the Nation.
BRYAN TAKES EXCEPTION
TO PRESIDENTS EULoQY
Taft Dodges the Issue by Saying
His Position is Already
Clear.

On, the 14th inst. President Roose-
Welt wrote a campaign letter, the
principal purpose of which is to COM
mend Mr., Taft to the wage workers
Of this country.
When the letter was brought to the
attention of Mr.. Bryan he said:
Mr.. Rryan's Reply.
A few, plain, simple sentences from
Mr.. Taft will be worth more than the
eulogy that the president pronounces.
The presidents Endorsement is of no
value unless the president will agree
to stay in Washington and see that
Mr.. Taft makes good. !. If Mr..
Taft were dead 1t would be interesting
to, know from Mr.. Roosevelt what he
knew Of Mr.. Taft's opinions and work.
but as Mr. Taft is alive and able TO
speak for himself, it is hardly .neces-
sary for Mr.. Roosevelt to tell us what
Mr.. Taft will do. Mr.. Taft. is run
ming upon q platform which was So
unsatisfactory that he had to amend
it in several important particulars and
yet. even as amended it gives the
public no dehnite idea az to what
Mr.. Taft stands for. Mr.. Taft also
has made SOME speeches and promises
to, make some more The ones he
has. already made have not thrown
any light upon the political situation,
but it is to be hoped that he will
yet conclude to define hts position
with sufficient clearness to enable the
public to know what he, stands for.
It IL not sufficient for the president
to say that Mr.. Taft is. a friend :of
labor That is a subject. upon which
the laborinE man is entitled to an
opinion, and Mr.. Taft's friendship is
to be determined not by the presi-
dents Endorsement but by the meas
ures which Mr.. Taft advocates. Mr..
Taft believes that the labor organ
izations should come under the oper-
alton of the antitrust law, thus deal
ing with the men who belong to the
Labor .organlzatiQn .s as II they: were
merchandise, for, the; antitrust. = law.
deals with the monopoly OF products
of labor. Mr.. Taft is opposed to trial
by jury. in cases OF indirect contempt,
thus denying TO- the ;aboring man a
safeguard which is guaranteed to ev-
cry man tried in. criminal court
Mr.. Taft does not agree with the la
boring man in regard to the use Of
the Injunction in labor disputes. No
words Of praise from the president
can: change Mr.. Taft's attitude on this
question or make that attitude more
acceptable to the wageearners.
- Tafts Response to Bryan.
Mr.. Bryan's reply to Mr.. Roose-
Welt having been submitted to Mr.. Taft
at Cincinnati, Mr.. Taft said:
In my notification speech and in
other speeches made since, attempt
ed to make clear my position on all
the issues of the campaign. Mr. Bryan
should devote little time to his own
record, from which he seems to be
struggling to separate himself with ali
the adroitness acquired in a twelve
years' hunt for an issue on which he
can be elected president.
The remainder of Mr.. Taft's re-
sponse is devoted to Mr.. Bryan's atti-
tude In previous campaigns toward
the gold and silver question, the ques-
tlon Of imperialism, and the question
OF the futility Of railroad regulations
He says nothing of the issues raised
in this campaign by organized labor
Mr.. 6ryan's Rejoinder.
At Philadelphia on the 18th, Mr.
Bryan made the following rejotnder to
Mr.. Taft's response to Mr.. Bryans
reply to Mr.. Roosevelt:
Mr.. Taft is dodging. He cannot
escape from the issues. He will not
be permitted to run away from them.
He has accepted the nomination of
his party. Now: let him take the peo-
pie into his confidence and interpret
his platform so that the public will
know where he stands and what he
intends to do.