Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-22

Roosevelt addressed to United states
Senator p. C. Knox. of Pennsylvania.
in which Mr.. Roosevelt pays his re-
spects to Samuel GOmpers, president
OF the Federation of Labor.
Speaking at Philadelphia on Tues
day, Senator Knox took issue with
Mr. Gompcrs on the question OF the
attitude Of organized labor In the
present campaign and the Presidents
letter of today is in support Of Mr..
KnoX's views.
Mr. Roosevelt says:
White House. October 81 1908.
Nv Dear Senator Knox
In your admirable speech you speak
OF the action of MIR. BRYAN and GER
tain gentlemen claiming to be the
special representatives OF organized
labor, foremost among them Mr.. Com
pers to secure the support OF lahorlng
men for Mr.. Bryan on consideration
of his agreement to perform certain
acts nominally in the interest of or
baniZcd labor, which would really be
either wholly ineffective or else OF
widespread injury not only to organ
fed labor but to all decent citizens
throughout this country. You have
q peculiar right to speak on labor
questions: for 1t was you. who. as at
torney general. first actively invoked
the great power Of the federal govern
ment on tehalf of the rights OF labor
when, for the first time in the history
of the government, you. speaking for
Df lnfarvpnp0
in a private law suit which had gone
against a locomotive fireman who had
lost his arm in coupling cars. and b.
your Intervention secured from the
Supreme Court a construction OF the
safety appliance act which made it
a vital remedial statute. and there
fore has secured to hundreds of Grip
pied employees and widows of Grip
pied employees, compensation which
they would not otherwise have OBJ
tanned.
The daily papers of October 18Th
contain an open letter from Mr.. SAM
uel Gompers. president of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, appealing
to workingmen to vote for Mr.. Bryan.
In that letter are certain definite
statements which interest wide Ameri'
can public quite as much as those 10
whom Mr.. Gompers makes his APP
peal. These statements warrant all
you have said in your speech: and
they would warrant you in asking Mr..
Bryan to say publicly whether MT.
Gompers states correctly the attitude
of his party and himself on a sub
iect that is Of vital concern to every
citizen, including every BUSH
ness man who looks to the courts for
the protection Of his rights.
Mr.. Gompers in his letter asserts
that the judiciary of this country IS
destroying Democratic government
and substituting therefor an ire
sponsible and corrupt despo.ism in
the interest of corporate power; and
no further makes clear that the
means by which he believes this al
legged despotisn has been set up in
the place of democracy is by the pro-
cess of Injunction in the courts OF
equity.
Mr. Gompers in his letter states
that his appeal to the republican con-
yention at Chicago for remedy against
the Injunction was denied; and he
then goes on to state not only that
the democratic party promised q
remedy, but promised him the par
ticular remedy that he had already
asked Of congress.
His words:
Labor's representatives then went
to. the Democratic party. that party
made Labors contentious its OWL II
pledged It's candidates for every one
Of those remedies which labor had al
ready submitted to Congress"
The last sentence in this quotation
indicates very definitely the specific
remedies to which Mr.. GomDers I'M
derstands Mr.. Bryan's. party has
pledged itself. -
His statement now makes perfect
" clear an important plank in the
Bryanite platform which has hereto
fore seemed puzziing 20 vast num-
her Of earnest-miBdeG. thinking peo-
rie. Who are sincerely Interested IN
the steady advance and the legitimate
aspirations Of labor. and who care
fuIk read both platforms TO know pre-
ciseIy what hopes each hold out for
the Improvement Of the conditions OF
wage earners.
That plank reads as follows:
Questions OF judicial practice have
arisen especially in connection with
inarstriaI disputes. We deem that
the parties to all judicial proceedings
shodid be treated with rigid impart-
iaIity and that injunctions should MOI
be issued in any cases in which in
junction would not issue II no Indus
trial dispute we're involved.
This In the plank that promises
!-she reuvrdy- aca!ntt Injunction
whseh Mr.. Gompsrs asked Of Mr..
Byyans party. In actual fact H
means absolutely nothing: no change
q ~