The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-28
Taft VIII Have the Labor Vote.

conviction that WILLIAM II. TAFT will
get every labor vote TO which he is nor
mally entitled. Even Mr.. BRYAN is now
aware that the fictitious concessions
which were made to GoMPERs at Denver
might just as well have been omitted.
Better, in fact. Far better.
We shall not be surprised II 1t 10 adj
mitted presently that tho secession Of
GoMpERs and his crew Is 40 great q
piece OF luck as could well have befallen
the Republican ticket. He 10 already a
serious embarrassment TO BRYAN. His
presence In the camp has TO be explained
and 1t is extremely awkward. 1t has
led to unpleasant definitions Of the atti-
tude Of labor toward tho Democracy. It
has forced labor to recognize that 1t Is
being precipitated into politics for
politics sake. There is an inherent
consciousness In labor that It ought to
keep out OF politics. All conservative
workingmen have held to that belief
and have always heretofore maintained
their political independence.
Only a few weeks ago they were all
pledged to Mr.. ROOSEVELT. According
to GoMPERs the sun rose and set In Mr..
ROOSEVELT. Now, without any adequate
or Ineligible explanation, they are
all informed that they are for BRYAN.
1t makes sensible workmen uneasy and
unoomfortably curious about the facts,
about the relative merits Of the rival
claimants for their favor. And about
the nature Of the consideration.
They find that they have been made
the occasion Of a political swap, and the
more they turn the matter over the more
they incline to the belief that a blunder
has been made. Mr.. ROOSEVELT not
only gave them something practical and
tangible but he left no doubt as to what
he would do. opportunity Offering. Mr..
BRYAN on the other hand had nothing
to offer but a vague and doubtful prom
ise expressed in terms OF duplicity.
When they compare this with Mr.. RoosE-
vRIT's liberality with the offices and the
Ease and abandon with which he vio-
lated his oath Of office, betrayed the Con-
stitution and outraged the Supreme
Court, all in labor's interests, 1t must
occur to them that GoMPERs has made
a bad bargain.
Perhaps IL will also occur to them that
a man who could so easily betray the
trust confded to him by the people who
elected him President Of the United
States would be quite as likely to betray
them when it suited his ambition or con-
venience to do 30. Such a deduction
would not dishonor their intelligence.
Men cannot afford to shut their eyes to
dishonesty and corruption merely be-
cause those qualities are exhibited in
their apparent interests.
For our part we are more convinced
than ever that Mr.. TAFT will get the
great bulk Of the intelligent labor vote.
The natural and human inclination of
labor is to vote for an honest man. There
is nothing In any part Of Mr.. TArT's
career that does not stamp him as a man
of the first integrity. He has never COM
mitted an act in his life that would war
rant labor in questioning his sincerity,
unless it be that he recently joined a
labor union. That he probably could
not help. 1t is only too likely that his
better Judgment was prevailed against
by some unholy insistenoe Of precedent.
"Noblesse oblige,r as the nobleman at sea
remarked when he had to look over the
rail.