New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-01
MR.. TAFTS TRIUMPH.

Mr. Taft ended his speaking tour last night.
He has every reason to congratulate himself on
its results His Judgment in setting aside the
plans made for him and appealing In person TO
the voters has been fully vindicated. 1t is not
too much TO say that his travels and face-to-
face talks with auditors in every section OF the
country have made for him thousands of votes
Thousands more have been made for him oy the
example he has given of plain and open dealing
in all matters connected with his record or MS
policies.
The Republican candidate had to meet an at
tack which was the more serious because 1t was
underhan6ed- Mr.. Bryan and Mr. Gompers hao
tried TO spread the impression among the LABOR
unionists that Mr. Taft's record as q rederaI
Judge was unfrendly TO labor, and that the
Democratic party in this campaign had lent
far more willing TO the reasonable demands
of labor than had the Republican party. Mis-
representations Of this sort were easy, for the
technicalities and usages Of equity are not gen
erallv understood Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Com
Ders co-operated to delude union workingmen
into thinking that the Denver labor 1nJunctloh
plank was of their own making and thaC 1t
promised everything they wanted 1hey coop
Grated also in picturing Mr. Taft as Judlclai
despot who had originated equity interference
with the free use of the blacklist and the second
ary boycott
pretences so completely if be had refrained from
making a stumping tour. On the stump he was
enabled TO reach workingmen everywhere anu
TO show them exactly what he did as a judge
and v-hv he did IT. He succeeded In demon
stratipg TO them that he was not an enemy OF
unian labor but its true friend in that ne
made clear It's legal rights in industrial disputes
and nointed out the way 10 the safe and orderly
settlement of such disputes He declared lille
caI the miscbieyous blacklist and secondary boy
colt but these devices so oppressive and odious
in their apnlication. are now discarded by the
more intelligent unions because they eventually
| dh the users of them more harm than good. MI
Tafts candor and sincerity in defending MS
| record made highly favorable impression, and
| he drove this advantage home by showing that
his onnonents discussion Of the labor injunction
question was absolutely tricky and instncere
| since he refused TO define in plain words what
| the Denver plank meant and allowed the labor
unionists TO think that It favored the legaliZa-
| ton of the blacklist and the secondary boycott
! and his conservative Eastern and Southern sup
porfers to think that 1t in no way favored legal
| izing them.
In the last two weeks Mr. Taft has driven Mr.,
! BRYAN to the wall on this issue. The Democratic
! candidate has squirmed and equlvocated. but
/ has not dared to tell his labor friends or MS
! other friends where he really stands This eX-
posure Of the insincerIty and hypocrisy of Mr.
Bryan and Mr.. Gompers has been one of the
most valuable fruits Of Mr.. Tafts speaking tour.
| He ends his canvass with the chief political
| charge against him exploded and his uncandid
opDonent In ignominious retreat.