The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-09-08

can Opponents Promises to Labor
On lniunetions Amount to Nothing.
As They Are Not Binding On the
Psrty-FsvOrs Trial BY Jury In Con
tempt Cases and Says Taft Is Thor
oughly Aroused over Alleged Attack
Upon the judicial System.
Chicago. July William J. Bryan.
the Democratic candidate for the pres.
idcocy. began a three-weeks' campaign
In this city today. He will travel
through the middle west the eastern
states and back through the west into
South Dakota before returning home.
After reviewing the Labor parads
Mr.. Bryan delivered a speech TO an
immense concourse OF people. who en-.
Enthusiastically cheered his telliuC
points. He discussed the attitude To-
ward labor Of his Republican opponent
for the presidency. as well as Mr
Tafts other utterances. His speech in
part follows:
labor day is a legal holiday. and it
was made 50 because the Legislators
thought the wage earners worthy %
have a day specially set apart for the
consideration of theses that concern
those who toll
There are two questions intimately
connected with the labor problem
upon which the Democratic and r
publican parties do not agree. and D.
not only feel az liberty to discuss these
but under the circumstances I have
no right to ignore them. One relates
TO the issue OF injunctions and the
other to contempt cases arising under
injunctions The Republican conven-
tion did not deal candidly with the Ia
boring man on 1he subject OF the writ
or injunction Secretary Taft has en-
desyured 10 amend his platform ia
this respect and TO make some prom
Uses. which are not supported by his
platform. but his promises offer moth
ing substantial in the way OF reform
and are not binding on Republican
senator's and members. The Repubu-
can congress has already made a rec
ord On labor questions. and the Re
publican party cannot escape from
that record.
Taft's Promise Not Binding.
Mr.. Tafts speech may be consid-
cred as binding upon him. but the con
vention which selected the Republican
candidates Endorsed the Republican
platform. not Mr.. Taft's personal
views. The Republican platform. while
20 pledge some modification
OF the law. contains an exception
clause which rcitcrates the very Ian
guage Of the law Whether this exccp-
ton clause was inserted by accident
OF design. the effect is the same Il
merely provides in substance that re-
stralning orders shall not issue with
out notice except where such order can
now Issue without notice. The platform
was triumph for those who have
been opposits the laboring man. and
they have been boasting Of their vic
tory
The Democratic platform on this
subject copies the Language which The
labor organizations submitted 10 the
Republican and Democratic conven-
tons. Mr.. Taft in his notification
speech objects 20 the language. He
was loosely drown and framed for
the especial purpose OF rendering 81
susceptible 10 one Interpretation by
one set of men and n diametrically Oh
posite Interpretation by another AS
Mr.. Taft has had long experience on
the bench and is therefore skilled in
the Interpretation OF language. ask
him 70 give US. II he can. two opposite
Interpretations Of the language. That
plank demands that ali parties 70 all
Judicial proceedings shall De treated
with rigid impartiality Surely he can
not ind Two interpretations 10 the
phrase rigid impartiality'
Can't Misconstrue Injunction Plank.
Speaking OF industrial disputes. the
platform declares that injunction
shall not be issued in any cases il
which injunctions would not issue IL
no industrial dispute were involved.
How can that language be miscon
strued or misinterpreted2 II word
mean anything that plank means THAI
an industrial dispute shall not in itself
be regarded as a sufficient cause for
an Injunction. If an Injunction issues
IN an industrial dispute il must b.
based upon acts which would justify
m injunction il there were no indus
trial dispute involved. There is moth
Ing ambiguous about IL. there is moth
ing that can be misconstrued or mis-
interpreted even b. one desiring TO
find a double meaning Why do the
Republican leaders attempt to read
ambiguity into those wordse Simply
because they cannot meet the propo-
sition presented Even Mr. Taft at
tempts to avoid the issue by saying
that no one has ever maintained that
the fact that a dispute was industrial
gave any basis for the issuing of an
injunction in reference thereto If il is
true that no one now maintains that
then why find fault with out platform
on that subject? II nobody opposes
our position. we ought to have no diff
fculty in securing the passage Of a
law In harmony with this plank.
Takes Issue On Jury Question.
Upon the jury question Mr.. Taft
clearly takes issues with US He is