The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-10-24

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Roosevelt Says Bryan and Gompers
Seek TO Mislead Workinsmen With
Promises Of An Anti-injunetion Law
That Would Be Unconstitutional.
Challenges Nebrasksn TO Declare
Himself On the Congressional Sill
Drawn BY Gompers.
Washington oct ss.-Campaign lit
eraturc Was enriched by letter from
President Roosevelt addressed 10
United Statvs senator Philander G.
Knox. of Pennsylvania in which Mr..
Roosevelt pays Ais respects 90 Samuel
Gompers. president OF the American
Federation OF Labor Speaking Al
Philadelphia ON Tuesday. Senator
Knox took issue With Mr. Gompers on
the question ot the attitude OF ORGAN
lied labor in the present campo On.
and ,he presidents letter is in sup
port 90 Mr. kuoNs views
Mr.. Roosevelt calls attention 20 Mr..
Gompers open letter app, Ainr u
workirsmen 20 vote for Bryan Con
tinuing. ne SAYS.
MIR. Gompers in his letter asserts
that the judiciary OF this country Is
destroying democratic governm,n
and substituting therefor an irrcspoa
sible and corrupt dcspotism in the IN.
terest OF corporate power. and he fur
Their makes clear that the means ~
which he believes this alleged despot
ism has been set up in the place OF
democracy is by the process OF injunc
ton in the courts OF equity
Mr.. Gompers In his letter states
that his appeal to the Republican con
vention at Chicago for remedy against
the injunction was denied: and ~
then goes on to state not only that the
/ Democratic party promised remedy
but promised him the particular rem
edy that he had already asked Of con
gress
His words arc: Iabor's represcn
tatives then went 70 the Democrat.
party. That party made labof's con
tenions its own. It pledged its can
didatcs for every Office 20 those rem e
dies which labor had already submit
ted 20 congress-
His statement now makes perfcctly
olesr an important plank ia the Bry
ante platform. That plank reads rs
follows. Questions OF judicial prac
tice have arisen especially In corncc
tion with Industrial disputes. We deem
that the parties 20 all judicial pro
ceedinrs should be treated with rigId
impartiality. and that in3unctia rs
should not Doe issued IN any cases In
which injunctions would not issue Il
no Industrial dispute were Involved
This Is the plank that promises the
remedy against iniunctions which
Mr.. Gompers asked Of Mr. Bryan's
party. In actual fact. it means abso-
lutely nothing; no change Of the law
could be based on 81. no man wIthou,
inside knowledge could foreteii what
its meaning would turn out 70 De. for
no man could foretcll how any judge
would decide IN any given case. as the
plank apparently leaves each Judge
free 20 say when he issues an iniunc
ton In labor case whether or not il
Is case in which an injunction would
Issue u labor were not Involved. Yet
this plank is apparently perfectly
clear 70 Mr.. Gompers. am ia his letter
10 his followers he indicates beyond
question just what he understands il
70 mean. His statement that Mr.
Bryan's party pledged itself TO those
remedies which labor had already sub
mitted TO congress is a perfectly clear
and definite statement
The remedies which Mr.. Gompers
has already submitted 10 congress are
matters OF record. and the identihca.
ton Of HIS remedy against injunc.
tons in labor disputes IS easy and Ger.
tain. This remedy is embodied In
house bill No. 81 Of the first session
OF the Slxtieth congress. The gist OF
the bill IS this:
First After forbidding any federal
judge to issue restraining order for
an injunction IN any labor dispute. ex-
eept to prevent irreparable injury 10
property or property right II specih.
cally provides that no right 10 carry
on business OF any particular kind. or
at any particular place. II at all. shall
be construed. held. considered. or
treated as property or as constituting
q property right
Second. 1t provides that nothing
agreed upon or done by two or more
parties in connection with a labor dis
pute shall constitute a conspiracy or
other criminal otlense or be prosecuted
as such unless the thing agreed upon
or done would be unlawful If done by
q single individual.
1T is more than a bill; II is a pro-
gram OF the most fixed and definite
kind; and il Mr.. Gompers is correct
this bill comes. as II were, an au
thorized appendix TO Mr. Bryan's plat
form, or foot note explaining in de
tail the briefer and vague injunction
plank in that platform.
Does MI Bryan accept II as such?
"Mr. Gompers' public statements as
10 what his party has promised makes
= imperative that Mr.. Bryan declare
himself
This bill TO the principle Of which
he says Mr. Bryan Is pledged. declares
that the r.aht 10 carry on a lawful
business a. a lawful way shall not be
regarded as Il property right or emit