Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-13

Akron, Ohio, Oct. 12.-SeVenieen OHIO
towns heard and saw William H. Taft
today He spoke from Cincinnati 10
Akron, through portion of the state
conceded to have been Foraker strong
hold With portion of 1t Democratic.
While there was not the same vim to
the enthusiasm which the candidate S2t
in some portions of the West, he was
listened TO by large crowds, aud what
he said was we'll applauded and many
cheers We're given No shouts fen Brv
an were heard. The important speeches
Of the day We're at GAINESVILLE. Cam
bridge and Akron. In his GAINESVILLE
speech Mr.. Taft attacked both MI. !5ry-
an and MIR. GomDerS.
Mr.. Bryan goes around the country
saying ! am the father Of injurct, ms,
declared Mr.. Taft. 1T is not true. |
did not invent injunctions or injunc-
tons in labor disputes. But it is quite
natural that Mr.. Bryan should make
the mistake. because in a letter he
wrote to the district attorney of Bel
mont, Ohio, he says he has not read
my decisions" Continuing, Mr.. TAFT
put great emphasis on what he re-
garded as the effect of the decisions he
rendered Oh tHc Uellcll.
II laid down the law and laid down
the principles" he said Upon which
the labor organizations in this cOun-
try have since built up their prosperity
and their usefulness and instead OF
saying that | am an enemy. they
recognize that I am one Of the great
est benefactOrs they have mad. de-
cided case against the Brotherhood
of Engineers and the BROTH rnood col-
| demned mo In four years they got
| into court in St. Louis and they had
| to cite m. ease there to induce the
| ccur, to Withdraw the injunction there
| because ! had laid down the principles
upon which they could organize, could
| have their officers, could raise their
| fund.-, ecu d go on and conduct
strik under the advice of their Of
| ficers and in that case they induced,
on the authority of my decisions, the
| Judge to withdraw his injunction ana
| they went ahead and won the strike
| That same thing occurred in court
| in Cincinnati and in decision rem
| dered in Chicago. If you will examine
| the cases you will find that instead
| of being an oppressor of labor | am
| it's benefactor
| have been something besides
Judge. | had 10000 laborers under me
on the Panama canal. OF course. we
had difficulties down there. We mad
| the question of wages and | decided
| against the labOrerS What dld they
| do? | gave them the reasons Tor de-
| Gliding the way j did. why. they
| elected me a member of their union
Whv? Because l am fair to labor
| Under that ennunciation the trades
| unions have doubled in this country
| they never were in such prosperous
state: that American Federation OF
| Labor has increased 100 per cent. Mr.
| Compers salary has been increased
| 40 ner cent and | am glad of 1t. Inc
labor organizations have never reached
| the point of usefulness before, that
they have now Although you wouic
think from reading what Mr.. Gompers
has to say that they were in con-
| dition of abject slavery. They nave
never exercised the useful influence
or the power in protecting their own
interest before as they have under the
law as | laid it down some 10 or 10
years ago.
| At Canaldover, while making ms
labor speech, the candidate was m
terrupted by an exclamation from the
audience, declaring: Labor unions
are gone"
"They are not gone replied Mr.
| Taft The labor organizations To-Day
are more prosperous. nave more
money have more influence. have more
lawful control than they ever mad IN
| their lives before. The International
Typographical Union, in its annual re-
port showed an increase from 2s'"oo
to $4,000 They paid in S5'ooo'ooo'
They had s25O,000 in their treasury
| and the basis upon which those or
| carnations have been constructed are
the legal principles which l laid down
in my legal opinions. Therefore
claim that there is nobody in pubic
life that has done more to legalize and
give force and standing to labor unions
Il than | have"
At the Akron meeting tonight, MI
n Taft reiterated the points he had pre-
viously made on the labor question ana
\ brought to his support the recent pup
4 lished letter of Daniel ]. keefe, mem
Der OF the executive council oil the
head of the International Longshore-
men and Transfers organization. Inc
candidate said that the testimony OF
Mr. Feefe was more weighty because
Keefe asserted his (Taft's) position on
labor through constant negotiation
with reference to the Panama canal
and through the candidates capacity
as secretary of war. Mr.. keefe closed
his endorsement OF Mr.. Taft which the
latter read. as follows
! II shall support and vote for Mr
Taft. who was admitted to member
shin in the International Brotherhood
of Steamshovel and Dredgemen on ac-
count of his strong advocacy OF the
enforcement of the S-hour law on al
government work, coming under tht
jurisdiction Of the war department.
might say that Mr., Taft has done more