The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-10-29
ROOSEVELT
Accused of Changing
Front by Samuel
Gompers
KNOX TRUST LAWYER

President Roosevelt's letter to Sena-
tor Knox in reference to the appli-
cation of the writ of Injunction in
labor disputes, Samuel Gompers, presi-
dent of the American Federation OF
Labor, in a statement issued today,
vigorously arraigns the president for
what he terms "a change of position
of at least apparent friendship to
bitter, indefensible antagonism."
"It has been my pleasure" Mr..
| Gompers says, ito have often had the
privilege of discussing with President
Roosevelt a number of the funda-
mental questions of right, justice and
moral and social uplift Included in
these discussions were the invasjons
of personal rights and human liberty
by the courts of the Injunction abuse.
at is true that the president has
not always fully agreed with my con-
tentions, but he has never until the
publication of his latest utterance
limited, much less charged, that any
thing which l advocated was lawless,
unfeeliug, despotic, brutal, or wick
ed; and yet the rights for which the
workers of our country contend and
which, as best l can, defend and ad
| vocate, have been as well known TO
him during the past several years as
they are when he now 80 unjustif1edly
undertakes to misrepresent my work.
my motives, and my law-abiding citi-
zenship. Surely that opinion was not
always entertained by the president.
Mr.. Gompers says that last Febru-
ary he sent Mr.. Roosevelt an issue OF
the American Federationist in which
was published the chapter Some
equivocal rights of labor" from Geo.
A Algers' book Moral Overstrain."
"The chapter of the book" Mr..
Gompers says, "is as keen criticism
of the courts of the country in their
decisions affecting the rights, inter-
ests and liberty. of the workers as
anything l have ever said or writ
ten"
The president in acknowledging re-
ceipt of the article sent the follow
ing:
my Dear Mr.. Gompers:-You may
be amused to know that have sent
copies of the Moral Overstrain' to
Justices Day and McKenna. / am
glad that you were able to use it in
the American Federationist, and
thank you for sending me the copy
OF the magazine.
Sincerely yours. Theodore Roose-
welt.
June 27."
"The fact of the matter is" Mr..
Gompers declares, "that President
Judge Taft the candidate of the re-
publican party for president and
seeing that the labor vote which So
often has been corralled, diverted and
perverted by the politicians, is now
aroused and determined to deliver
its own vote; that tn toilers will not
be cajoled, deceived or brow-beater,
has become desperate and angry and
in his anger, by the worst exhibition
of demagogism, tries to instill into
the employers and business men that
their property and business in dang
er of square DEAL" implied by
equality before the law and human
freedom, are accorded to the workers
with all other citizens. 1t is an ex-
hibition of impotent rage and disap-
pointment, and an awful descent from
the dignity of the high Office of the
president of the United States. No
one but himself will be deceived as
to the purpose of Mr.. Roosevelt.
"The workers and liberty-loving
citizens are aroused as never before
since '61. The battle cry for free
dom Is again taken up. Then it was
for the Union and the abolition OF
black slavery; today it is for the
Union, equal rights, and freedom loI
ALL"
Mr.. Gompers insists that the presi-
dent makes direct and specific, at.
tack upon labor" in his letter to
Senator Knox.
''The pretense that the attack II
upon me is too thinly yelled to de
cieve anyone" he adds. "He strikes
over the shoulder at the hearts Of
the great rank and file of the work
ers and other liberty-loving citizens
of our country. SO far as / am con
cerned l have neither the inclination
nor the desire to bask in the sunlight
of President Rooseyelt's 'benevolen
assimilation, by which he placatei
some, by the big stick, brow-beati
others, and by his sophistry hopes II
fool the masses intoA supporting in
junction Judge Taft.
President Roosevelt says tina
Senator Knox has a peculiar righ
to discuss the principles involved il
injunctiOns because he, as attorne!
general. prosecuted civil suit TO
damages to an injured workman
That Senator Knox was the specia
counsel of the Pennsylvania railroa'
and of the United States Steel Cor
porat.on would indeed qualify him t
discuss the injunction above, bu
certainly only from the viewpoint o
the friends of corporations who pro
At by the abuse Of the injunction wrli
as It brings advantage and profit b
corporate greed and power.
@If the courts have not inYadel
humans liberty, ii they have not un
dertaken TO protect corporate inter
ests to the detriment OF the people