The Washington times., 1908-01-28
Calls at White House
and Relates Recent Fed
eral Decisions Against
Labor.
Democrats Gain Material
for Next Campaign
Through Highest Tri-
bunal's Ruling.

Samue- Gompers, president OF the
/ American Federation OF Labor IS
| preparing TO say some things relative
| 20 the decision of the Supreme Court
| on the Erdman act, as we'll as the
rulings OF the lesser tribunals which
/ have dealt the cause Of labor such
/ staggering blows. Just when he will
make the statement Mr.. G0mpers is not
ready 70 predict, nor viii he venture
any guess as 60 its scope.
Organized labor has sustained such
a series OF defeats, within short time.
as has never been known In this coun-
Try The Supreme CouTts conclusion
I that the Erdmsn law is unconstitutional
IS both the latest and severest blow.
| The dismay Of organized labor is only
equaled by the eXultatiCn OF the organ
lied employers who for several years
/ have been meeting the efforts Of labor
with an opposing organized force.
Gompers Calls at White House.
Mr.. Gompers called al the White
House this morning on other business.
accompanied by Seth Low. Of New
York, ard conferred with the President
On leaving Mr. GOmpers was asked for
an expression on the recent series Of
decisions against labor. He declined 10
express himself al this time. but It was
plain that 10 suppress himself required
an effort.
Il shall net be dragged into any ex-
preston. simply because the public de-
mands il. until 1 am prepared to say
just what : want 10 say. and ia q. form
in which it Will not be misunderstood,
he declared.
Mr.. Gompers proceeded 10 catalogue
some Of the recent decisions in which
labor las sustained defeat lie men
llonec the decision OF yesterday, which
declares the ErdmHn act unCOnstltu-
Ulunal. tire decision OF q few days ago
holding the employers liability law un-
constitutional. the decision in the Su-
pFeInc Court OF the District OF COlum-
bia, against the American Federation OF
Labor, and Mr.. Gompers personally. In
which the we don't patronize' LIST pub
hshed u the organ OF the Federation
was held 10 be against the law. the de-
cision in New York, holding the
bankers ten-hour law unconstitutional;
the decision IN the case ofSthe National
Hatsers' Association, and, finally, the
injunction issued BY Federal Judge Day
ton IN West Virginia, restraining the or
hccrs OF a labor organization from at
tempting to induce the employees OF a
coal company to join a union.
Mr.. Gompers would do no more than
that they did not make the complete !
list He indicated that he would have
a statement &c issue about them in the
near future, and that Il would be given
the widest possible circulation.
Plays Into Democrat Hands.
The political effects Of this series Of !
decisions are regarded as likely to be /
most serious. William Jennings Bryan /
Is in Washington, and Il Is said that he /
and his followers regard these decisions !
as a remarkable and most timely vim /
dicatiOn Of the criticisms Of the courts /
which were made by the Democrats In /
the campaign Of 1886. The fact that they
have come at the opening Of another !
campaign in which Mr. Bryan will he
q candidate and in which he will quote
his prophecies Of 1886 and point to the 4
recent decisions as demonstrations OF 1
their accuracy. gives the situation a /
political significance which is not being
overlooked in any quarter, either Re-
publican or Democratic.
That the Democrats viii undertake TO
make this set OF sSsues a strong card
in the coming campaign is not uueS-
toned; neither is the proposition that
these decisions play powerfully into the
hands OF those interests In his party
which are insisting that Mr.. Bryan
must be nominated again
The resident has already prepared q
EUnfEnf a [
the employers liability act. suggestfnv
the enactment Of a new law which snail
meet the requirement laid down hv the |
court and stand its test of constitution /
ality. and il was said today that either
in this message or later he viii also
discuss the situation produced bv the /
decision against the Erdman act II is /,
recalled that the President was so
strongly in favor OF the Erdman act
that ne ordered the Attorney General /
to intervene in the case Just decided, /
and present an argument in support OF
the cOnstitutiOnality Of the act This
course was also pursued in the case of
the employers liability act. the Govern
ment being defeated in both cases.
President in Quandary.
It is understood the President has not
yet determined what course should be
adopted to overcome the effect of the
decision in tbs Erdman case. The de-
cision was so sweeping that no method
Is apparent OF circumventing il.
MesSrs. GcmpeTs and Low called on ,
the President, not with reference to
these matters, but as a committee of
the National Conference on COmbina-
fions and Trusts, which met in Chi
cago October 22-25 last They called TO
large committee that viii present to
he President, the Vice President, and
Sneaker Cannon, the resolutions adopt
ad by the conference.
These resolutions proposed mOdifca-
TONS of the Sherman law. and the es-
ia abIishment of a commission TO inVesti-
cate the whole question Of combina-
Translator and capitalize report 10
fba next session OF Congress a scheme
Of regulating these in the public in
Serest
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