Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-10-26

TAFTLABOR'S I ND
President Answers Letter Of y
from New York Railroad L
RECORD OF THE CANDID. /.
Uses and Abuses Of Injunction Are
Frankly Discussed.
CASE OF IRON MoLDERs CITED
Good Advice from Taft Which Worked
Them a Great Benefit.
CASE OF IRON MOIDERs cTTEr
COURSE ON THE PANAMA CANAL
Practical Demonstration of TafpH
Attitude Toward Labor where
He Hss Had 90 Deal with
In a Large Way.

BINGHAMToN, n ", oct. 2S.-In re-
sponse to a letter from p. II. Grace,
member OF the Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmen, inquirng about Mr.. Tafts record
In respect to injunctions ana labor matters
in general President Roosevelt has writ
ten to Mr. Grace. reviewing Mr.. Tafts at
titude toward labor and explaining the work
OF the administration toward ameliorating
Industrial conditions.
The correspondence follows
BROTHERHOOD OF RAILROAD
TRAINMEN, B1NGHAMTON, n. Y, Oct.
l6, lsoS.-- Theodore Roosevelt, President of
United States, Washington, ID. C,-Dear
STR The questions involved IN the sp-
speeches assert that Mr.. Taft Is the father
OF injunctlOns In labor disputes and the
enemy OF the working men. on the other
side II is declared that Mr.. Taft has rec
ognlEed the right OF labor and has. I'll IN lac tact'
ests OF organized labor We are not all
clear In our minds as to just what to be,
lleve and as to just how to act We all
have great confidencs In you. I am mem
Der OF the Brotherhood OF Railroad Train
men, being the financier OF PsTioT Slty
~ myself and many OF my. associate en-
poyes I wish to respectfully ask that IL
YOU are willing to do so, you give us your
views as to how we can best serve our own
interest IN this connection and why |
trust that this is not an improper request
and I hope you can see your way to comply
VIZ" - ioO's' P. II. GRACE.
The Presidents Reply.
WASHINGTON. Oct 49, 19OS.-My Dear
Mr. Grace: | thank you for your letter.
need hardly say that / take peculiar in
terest in the men who work on the railroads
in this country, and l prize as one of the
honort OF which l am most proud the fact
that | am an honorary member of the
brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen.
Throughout my whole term as president
now In It's eighth year l have devoted my
SELF with especial interest TO the questions
affecting labor The lasting prosperity of
this country rests upon the welfare of the
wageworker and the welfare of the tiller
OF the soil My greatest aim and desire
have been to do all that In me lies to ad-
vance their interest. / wish to help them
te get the best out OF their present posi-
tions; I wish to help them make those pos
sItions permanently better OF permanently
greater Importance and reward. No consid-
Grafton OF party fealty or personal friendship
would induce me to advise either farmer
or working man to do anything that was
not for his permanent benefit. With this
fact keenly before me. earnestly advise
all workingmcn, in their own interest as
workngmen but above all as American
citizens concerned in the honor and the
prosperity OF this great free republic, to
support Mr.. Taft for president just as
advise all farmers, business men and men
Of the professions.
Taft and IniunctiOns.
| do not believe the wage workers OF
this country have ever had a better
friend in the White House than MIR. Taft
will prove to be. He has already shown
his faith by his deeds. In the matter
of the lnjunctions he issued he was abso-
lutely right and the principles he laid
down In those inJunctions have since then
been accepted by every worthy leader OF
labor. and they are embodied in the
principles and practices OF all the railroad
brt therhoC d. at the present day. The abuses
OF injunction have been fesrlessly exposed
and attacked by Mr.. Taft. He recognizes
A In my judgment all fair-mlnded mer
must recognize, that again and again II
the past this process has been used to tn,
detrlment of wage workers by certain
judges He Is doing and will continue to dC
everything that can be done TO do away
with these abuses. He will not make vague
promises impossible OF fulfillment. He will
actually and in good faith try to secur,
action. Let mo give you an example o
what he has just done.
Gnsc of Iron MOIders' Union,
year or so ago the editor of the pape
specially devoted TO the Iron Molders
union called upon me to say that a de
cree had been entered In the United State
circuit court at Milwaukee in the summe
OF 1906 which he regarded as grossly unjus
and improper and as practically fatal L
trades unionism. The case was that Of tn
Iron Molders union against the Allls
Chalmers company of Milwaukee. TIL
members OF the union, having made Ger
tain demands for the betterment OF theI
conditions OF service, which were refused
went on a strike and an Injunction sui
followed In the United States circuit court
The late employees were en1oined from
alleged illegal interference. The final deere
was Of the most drastic and far-reaehinl
character, and besides enjoining the lat
employees from doing acts which wer
clearly illegal, it also enjoined them from
any form of picketing. from inducing EN-
pl0yes to leave the service OF the Auis
Chalmers company by persuasion or other
wise, and from any kind OF interference
with the company direct or indirect. S
sweeping were the terms Of this injunctio
that Il practically forbade the union fror
NNs NlAoiNt no now peace
tul ana proper, to maintain their positio
I'm this trade dispute The editor of IN
iron Molders' Journal" Mr.. ]. p. Fry
brought the case before me stating that IN
union did not know what TO do; that Il
funds were limited; that he felt that the
were suffering from gross injustice whie
they we're powerless To remedy. I called
Mr.. Taft and asked Mr., Fry 10 Law IN
case before him. as OF course Mr.. TAN NJ
far more competent than l was to expres
his judgment as to the legality and pro
priety Of The action taken
TAFT Recommended Counsel.
Mr.. Taft satisfied himself Of the fact
aud at once became exceedingly indir
nant at such an Injunction having issue,
lie stated that In his opinion the positio
taken by the court In issuing the lnjun,
tion was clearly untenable. and ths. WIN
(COntlnued on Second PaEeD