Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-10-31
TAFT ON LABOR ISSUE
Sledgehammer Blows at Gompers.
Bryan Legislation Plans.
CANNOT DELIVER THE VOTE
List Of Union Officials Who Refuse to
Aid Plan.
ACT OF BRAzEN EFFRoNTERY
Attempt to Make Federation Political
Factor Will Fail.
TAFT AND SHERMAN AT UTICA
Both Republican Candidates Addrrss
Great Mass Meeting at Home
city of LRtter-Speeches
Mt other Points.

BUFFALO, N. Y, oct. sO-sledgehamm
blows at the Gompers- Bryan labor legisla-
ton plans were delivered here tonight by
William II. Taft before two immense audi
ences. Mr.. Taft gave the names OF many
labor leaders high in the councils of the
American Federation OF Labor who he said
were leaving Mr. Gompers.
'The attempt of Mr. Gompers," he de-
clared, with great emphasis ito deliver
the labor vote Of this country is as auda-
cious an act OF political effrontery as has
ever occurred in the history of politics.
| 1T is most reassuring to note that the
men associated with Mr.. Gompers in the
executive councils of the Federation OF
Labor are falling away from him in this
effort of his to make the federation a po-
litical factor.
| THE men who decline to follow him are
John Mitchell, James Duncan first vice
president of the American Federation of
Labor: Daniel Keefe, the head of the Long
shoremens union: w. d. Ryan, secretary
and treasurer OF the United Mine Workers;
| A. i. Faulkner, president of the Window
Glass Workers of America; Claude Worth,
| seCretary-treasurer of the International
| Dredge Workers; Charles Mccarthy. grand
sociaton; w. II. Fuller. Elevator Employees;
| T. j. Dolan, international secretary Of the
| steam shovel and dredgemen and many
| others high In the councils of labor organ
/ izations. 1t is a struggle for political ex-
! istence on the part OF Mr.. oGmpers, and
he 10 willing TO resort to every extreme
method possible to secure success"
Gomoers Man of One Idea.
After asserting that the protective system
was decidedly the most important consider
alton for the American workmen. Mr. Taft
added:
Mr.. Gompers, however, has so committed
himself on one subject with reference to
labor that he is willing TO sacrifice every
other consideration, however important and
material to the welfare of the wage earners
He is willing to have a return OF the con-
ditions that existed i'm 1895. so eoquently
: described by him at that time, IL only he
can secure what he regards as the proper
legislation concerning injunctions. He pro
poses to abolish injunctions In Industrial
disputes where the injunction is issued to
protect a person whose business is injured
by the lawless acts of working men, and
this by statute He also proposes TO legal
ize the secondary boycott though many
trades unions have distinctly renounced
Its use as an instrumentality I'm Industrial
disputes, which is un-republcan, un-Amerl-
can and which is certain to react upon the
users boomerang with disastrous
effect.
president Roosevelt in a letter to Bryan
has inquired of him whether the democratic
platform is to be taken as favoring this
plan Of Mr.. Gompers, which Mr. Gompers
asserts to be the fact, saying that it was
agreed between Mr.. Gompers and Mr.. Bryan
, fhaf hat H.. III.
manding from congress should be a part
of the democratic platform Mr.. Bryan
has refused to answer Mr., Roosevelts ques-
tions and therefore we take it that he is
committed to Mr.. Gompers' program"
Taft nHd sherman Meet.
UTICA, N. y, oct SO--"Your Jim has
assured me that we are going to be elected
and l believe his judgment is good" de-
clared William Ii. Taft to Il great audience
here today. The meeting at which MI.
Taft spoke followed twenty-minute con-
ference between the republican candidates
at hotel
Mr.. Sherman was waiting in his auto
mobile when the Taft special pulled into
the station. Judge Taft greeted him with
, the, greatest cordiality and the two went
to the hotel. Twenty minutes later they
were driven up through the crowded
sTeets' Two audiences were awaiting to
receive the candidates, one at the Majestic
theater and another at the Orpheum.
: The Majestic visited first, and when
= Taft and Sherman appeared. side bv side
on the stage the audience was electrified
, into an enthusiastic demonstration. The
, shouting continued for many minutes.
Judge Taft expressed many fond memories
or Utica adding, and besides Il Is the
! home Of your Jim Sherman and my coll
league on the national ticket
! II have known Jim Sherman a good many
years continued judge Taft and each
time he called his colleague Jim" ap-
proval was expressed without stint You
! don't have to know him long to know him
= WELL he added.
!, sherman Tower of strength.
+, 1T is my good fortune in Washington to
. find him one OF the towers of strength for
+ doing things-for getting things through
:, congress. We are in the same boat. Jim
q and l. Nobody can vote for him and
8 scratch me, and @obody can vote for me
= and scratch jim We are absolutely tied
: together and an delighted that It is so
We are on the eve OF a national election
and Jim Sherman assures me that We are
going TO be elected.'
!, New YORK city viii give you 5OOOO ma
= jorty," shouted voice
v ! am not AMBITIOUS lot 100 many tgures
i, In the way OF majorIfies' returned the
! candidate, smiling. You just get the ma
jorities"
But" he continued with a more serious
= air, when you come TO look at II, IL doesn [
) seem 70 me there can be tho slightest doubt
n about our winning in this election. People
~ ought to know a good thing when they see
= IT. This brought a laugh lie then added
that he thought It would be a reflection
on tho American people to suppose that they
T. would not vote in accordance with their
h business interests ana material prosperity.
: This led him 70 a discussion Of the issues
a I'm a general way
~ When Judge Taft had concluded, Mr..
Sherman followed with a brief speech. The
candidates then spoke to an audience In the