The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-22

to see that the power of injunction is not used to oppress the laboring man. will endeavor to secure them full and equal justice. Therefore, in the interest of all good citizens, be they laboring men, business men, professional men, farmers or members of any other occupation, so long as they have in their souls the prin- ciples of sound American citizenship, de- nounce as wicked the proposition to se- cure such a law which, according to the explicit statement of MT. Gompers, is to prevent the courts from effectively inter fering with riotous violence when the object Is to destroy a business, and which will legalize the black list and the secondary boycott, both of them the apt instrument of unmanly persecution.
 Remedy an Empty Sham.
 But there is another account against Messrs. Bryan and Gompers in this mat ter. Ephriam feedeth on wind Their pro- posed remedy is an empty sham. They are seeking to delude their followers by the promise of law which would dam age this country solely because of ths- vicious immoral purpose that would be shown by putting 1t upon the statute books, but which would be utterly wortn- less to accomplish Its avowed purpose. I have not the slightest doubt that such a law as that proposed by Mr. Bryan
 
 unconstitutional by unanimous supreme court, unless, indeed, MT. Bryan were able to pack this court with men ap- pointed for the special purpose Of declar- ing such a law constitutional l happen to know that certain great trust magnates have announced within the past few weeks, in answer to the question as to why they were openly or secretly favor ing the elction of Mr. Bryan, that the la hat Mr. nrDnDSpd. including this law especially, would be wholly in- effective. because the court would un- doubtedly throw them out, and that the promises to enact them could, therefore, be safely disregarded On July 3, last, the special counsel to the Central Association of Building Trades of New York, MT. Edward J. Gavegan, submitted to that as- sociaton an opinion on the matter of in junction. an opinion which was officially indorsed and approved the day by the Central Association of Building Trades of New York In this opinion, in discussing proposals to do away with or modify the power of issuing injunctions in industrial disputes, MT. Gavegan said that the pro posal to favor defendants in industrial dis putes above all others, would be class legislation and in the nature of special privilege. and special privilege is the bane of the workingman.
 Special Privileges.
 Special privilege Is what creates pow erful special interests. What the wage earner wants and all he wants is equality before the law, it Is playing into the hands of the special interests to enact laws which are certain of annument by the courts even when they are intended in good faith for the betterment of the workingman. The special interests would rather see a thousand favorable but un- enforcible new laws enacted for the wage earner than to have him learn the full power of single existing remedy. The remedies so far suggested and made pub lie cannot in the very nature of our sys- tenn furnish any needed relief. Labor rep resentatives should concentrate and use their influence for the enactment of gen. eral measures calculated to protect and rot to destroy the remedy of injunction.
 This is admirably sound common sense, the opinion of the counsel to 0 great labor body, ndorsed and adopted as its own by that labor body. 1t is scathing con- demnation of the proposals both vicious and chimerical, to which Messrs. Bryan and Gompers are committed. They prom ise what would be in the highest degree detrimental to the interests of the gen. eral public if it could be performed, and what as a matter of fact could not be performed. I believe both in the patriot ism and the intelligence of the working men, the laboring men of America There fore, I do not believe that they can be misled to their own deep hurt as Messrs. Bryan and Gompers seek to mislead them. I do not believe they will permit MT. Gompers to deliver them like chattels to MT. Bryan in exchange for sham. Sin cerely yours
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT
 "P. c. Knox, United States Senator, Valley Forge, Pa."
 Queen Consents To Wedding.
 London; October 21.-A special dispatch