The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-24
Two Addresses Are Delivered
to Chicago Audiences
INJUNCTIONS ARE HANDLED
Candidate Speaks First To Railway
Men and Takes Up Decisions In
Labor Cases Rendered BY
Him While on Bench.

Chicago September 23.-William H.
Taft. republican candidate for president.
in two addresses tonight opened what his
leaders declared would be from now on
an aggressive campaign.
A crowd that blocked most of the pas
sageways of the La Sale station greet
ed Mr.. Taft on his arrival at Chicago
this afternoon. The republican standard
bearers smile, which had beamed through
the state of Indiana during the earlier
part of the dsy, showed no hint of fa-
tigue as he was escorted through the
crowd to a waiting automobile. All along
the streets on the way to the Auditorium
Annex the laudation continued. At the
hotel Mr.. Taft was closeted with Chair
man Hitchcock and other campaign chief
tains for some time. Speaking before the
Railwaymen's Independent Taft club in
Orchestra hall MI Taft paid his re-
spects to union labor. dealing particularly
with decisions in labor cases rendered
by him when Judge.
II am glad to meet so many members
of organized railroad labor. | have ac-
cepted this opportunity to address an
audience of members of the brotherhoods
in order that l may take up a question
which has been given great prominence
in this campaign and in which | must
say that every effort has been made un-
justly to arouse the prejudice of organ
lied labor against the republican party
and its candidate.
''In the first place | wish to affirm
without fear of contradiction that the
republican party has done vastly more
than the democratic party both on state
and national legislation for the protection
and in the interest of labor. 1t passed
in General Harrison's administration the
eight-hour law for government workmen
and gave an impetus to a reduction of
hours in other employment. The safety
appliance acts were passed In the same
administration. An act for the promo
ton of arbitration between the railways
and their employees in Interstate COM
merce is also one of those acts of benef-
icence to both employer and employe.
Law Re-Enacted.
1.-THE last congress enacted a law which
was declared unconstitutional and then
in it's second session re-enacted the law
to avoid the constitutional objections.
by this act railway employe who
brings suit for damages against the COM
pany cannot now be defeated on the
ground that the negligence was the negli-
gence of fellow servant. If he is shown
to be guilty himself in a slight degree he
does not forfeit his right of action, but
it is let to the jury to apportion the dam
age and reduce them as equity shall JUS
tify.
In addition to this a law limiting the
hours of labor of interstate railway en-
fa1A hoe hi nyac oil
passed by the last session of Congress
providing for compensation to government
employees for injuries received in the gov
ernment employ 1t is an adequate law
and will doubtless be improved by com.
ing Congresses. An issue, however. has
arisen as to the attitude of the two parties
on the subject of injunctions in labor dis.
putes.
Objection to lnjunctions.
objection is made to the issuing of in
functions without notice. There is OPP
portunity for abuse in such a practice,
though there are cases when no other
remedy seems adequate. | have been
willing, however, to adopt a rule by
which notice shall be required before the
issuing of any injunction, temporary or
otherwise. The republican convention
however thought it wiser that the best
present practice should be embodied in a
statute in order to bring the matter to
the attention of the court. and in this
way further abuses could be avoided
hope and believe that this is true.
''The provision in the democratic plat
form that a trial by jury shall be al
lowed in all cases in which a charge of
contempt is made for the violation of the
courts order. To introduce jury trial
between final order and its enforce
ment and between the routine orders
bringing witnesses and jurors into court
would so hamper the administration of
justice as to make the courts a laughing
stock.
1T has been sought TO give the impress
sion that this record of mine as a judge
shows that | am unfriendly to labor.
Nothing could be farther from the fact.
AS the executive in charge of the work
on the Panama canal | have had under
me for four years upward of 10000 labor
ers 1t has given me pleasure to devote a
great deal of my time to the consideration
of the welfare, as well as of the pay, of
the men employed under the government
in that great enterprise
Railroad Legislation.
eve are interested that legislation
against the railroads should be just and
only properly restrictive. We are inter-
ested that there should not be unjust
and drastic legislation preventing their
earning proper lncOlile. W. are all lHlol-
ested, of course that they should charge
only proper rates, but we are also inter
ested that they should not be made to do
business on less than just rates. l have
noticed with a great deal of interest that
the railroad laboring men are beginning
to realize that the prosperity of the rail
roads is much in their interest as it is
in interest of the stockholders and the
officers of the road, and that they pro-
l.f., hA II
tical issue as to the character of the legis-
lation that shall be passed with reference
to the regulation of railroads.
1.-The whole country is dependent upon
the prosperity of the railroads. The truth
is that the railroads are the greatest
single market that we have for manufac-
tured products Is it not apparent to YOU
therefore, that the el1tion of Mr.. Bryan