Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-22
Breaks Out With New Let
ter, the Purpose Of
Which is Plain.
WAS LOST SIGHT OF
Evidently Bent Upon Attracting
Attention From Weak
Spots.

Washington, Oct %. = President
Roosevelt, in a letter written yester-
day to Senator Knox of PENNSYLVANIA.
challenges William Jennings Bryan to
explain exactly what is the program of
the democratic party on the labor ques-
tion.
Denouncing the labor plank I'm the
democratic platform as meaningless
and a "sham," President Roosevelt
quotes from the labor bill presented
to the last congress by Samuel Com
pers as the program of the labor lead
ers for injunction remedies and asks
Mr.. Bryan if the people of the country
are to understand that he and the DEM
ocratic party are secretly committed
to that program by the "hazy" plank
in the democratic platform.
Declaration is Wanted.
President Roosevelt calls attention to
the fact that MIR. Gompers has publicly
declared that Mr.. Bryan has made the
American Federation of Labor program
for injunction remedies his own, and
this program the president describes
as follows:
Mr.. Gompers' public statements as
to what his party has promised make
it imperative that Mr.. Bryan declare
himself. This bill 1.-THE Gompers bill
in congress), to which he says Mr..
Bryan is pledged, declares that the
right to carry on lawful business in
a lawful way shall not be regarded as
a property right or entitled to the pro-
Election of a court of equity through
the process of an injunction, and that
the right to such protection, which
admittedly now exists under the law,
shall be taken away"
Wants Record of Pledge.
rs Mr.. Bryan asked President
Roosevelt, ''in reality pledged to this
point of view? Will he definitely state,
leither in writing or public address,
whether he believes with Mr.. Com
pers that the protection heretofore af-
lforded by the courts of equity to the
fright to carry on lawful business in
a lawful way is despotic power and
that the judges who exercise that pow
Ter are irresponsible despots?"
Outlining at length the effect of the
lGompers program, which he declares
would legaliZe the blacklist and Sec
londary boycott, two of the most cruel
forms of oppression ever devised by
the wit of man for the infiiction of
suffering on his weaker fellows" the
Ipresident asks Mr. Bryan to break "a
; long-continued silence" on the subject
frankly to tell the American people
: lust where he stands on the Gompers
idea.
; Refers to Platform.
Let Mr.. Bryan confine himself" the
Ipresident writes. ito the antiinjunc-
ton plank of his own platform. and
tell us publicly, definitely and clearly
, whether he accepts or rejects the
statement of Mr.. Gompers that this
lplank pledges him to the bill for which
Mr.. Gompers stands, and whether, il
Ielected. he will endeavor to have this
proposal enacted into law"
The president says that he feels he
has a right to express himself on this
subject, that he has fought hard fol
the rights of labor and will fight hard
Ier. Mr.. Taft, he says, has stated his
position frankly 10 the public.
~ will do everything in my power
for the wage workers of the country.
Mr.. Roosevelt writes, except to de
l what is wrong"
In concluding his letter, the presi
i dent says:
Il believe both in the patriotism ant
! the intelligence of the workingmen o
4 America. Therefore, do not believe
Il that they can be misled to their owI
L deep hurt, as Messrs. Bryan and Com
lpers seeks to mislead them; do no
ibefieve they will permit Mr.. Gomper
Ito deliver them like chatteIs to Nj
= Bryan in exchange for sham"