St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1908-10-16

injunction record. Without this he
would not today be known outside
of the county he was born In. lie
has always been an office seeker and
office-holder. His first act to attract
attention was his judicial mulcting OF
the brick.layers' union. But this gave
him only local reputation.
He came into national prominence
the first time when, with Judge Rick
of malodorous fame, he Joined the
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Engineers
and Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire.
men in the strike of the Toledo, Ann
Arbor and North Michigan Railway II
the early spring of 1893. These two
organizations struck after every at.
tempt TO secure decent treatment
had failed. They then decided not TO
handle the cars OF that company. Taft
and Kicks we're the two federal judg.
% In that district. Ashley,the pres.
ident OF the company, at once ap.
pealed to these judges for an order
restraining the two brotherhoods from
refusing TO haul his cars.
a special engine and car was place,
by Ashley at the disposal of the
court which was at Cincinnati.
where Taft lived the road was clearet
and the court was rushed through
TO Toledo on this special the head.
quarters OF the company. where the
general office was located.
on arrival OF his one.car judicial
special the court held consultation
with Ashley, the president. and lmme
diatcly the judicial lightning was let
fly and the brotherhood OF Flrcmen
aud the brotherhood OF Engineers
were paralyzcd. Not only this. but the
chief officers. including Arther and
Sargent. were arrested for contempt
OF court and only by the most abJect
apologies did they manage to keep
out OF jail. James Lennon, an engln.
Ger and member Of the brotherhood,
did not fare No well. True 10 the
order OF the brotherhood. he refused
To haul cars OF the Ann Arbor road
ana rather than violate his obligation
TO the brotherhood. he resigned his
job. For this he was arrested upon
the charge OF contempt, hauled be.
fore the court. fined fifty dollars and
sent TO jail for three months. These
are the essential facts In the case
which broush Judge Taft TO the at.
tehtion OF the American people and
gave HIN his national reputation,
Hut this case gave Taft something
more than n mere reputation as an
Injunction Judge. II brought his name
TO the front as Judge after the
capitalists own heart. All the capi.
taiist papers applauded him Justify
"hd from this time forward his polit.
cal fortune was made. TAFT had estab
lished himself IN the capitalist con.
fidcnce.
lie had the capitalist idea OF jud.
icial procedure and the capitalist
viewpoint OF labor strike.
No man on ;he bench ever more
completely won his way into the con.
fldenee OF the capitalist class than
didIudge Taft by his injunction re.
cord In the Ann Arbor case and in
the case growing out OF the Pullman
strike.
pebs. the president OF the Amerl. |
can railway union sent trusted rep.
resentati'es 10 ,ake charge at all
TIE important railroad centers Frank
W. Phelan was put in charge at Gin.
'lnnati where Taft occupied the
bench and also had his home. This
gave Taft the supreme opportunity
10 round out and complete his repu.
Ia'lon In the great strike which then
attracted the attention OF fhe whole
world.
Taft at once issued his strike
breaking injunctions restraining Phe.
an from exercising his lawful func,
ions as leader OF the strike, then
'ad him arrested, and sentenced him
o Jail for six months, breaking the
'rlke In that locality and depriving
hundreds OF the strikers OF their Jobs
This judicial outrage was keenly
cit by not only the strikers but by /,
IL organized workers and indignant i,
y resented 80 far as this was pos
ible. Il was In this case that Taft
rought his huge fist down with a
hack as he sat on the bench and
eclared that the railroad trains
'ould run II It required the whole
'nited states army TO operate them.
his capped the climax and from
hat day TO this no judge has been
ute SO near the plutocrats as Taft.
He occupied the seat OF grace. His
lture was secure. The rest is pretty
ell known. lie promoted from one
lace TO an other until now he is the
sndidate for president aud the
'pitalists, with characteristic appre-
alton of his injunction record, are
wing him their unqualified support,
The injunction record OF William
aft is a fine prelude to what his ex.
utiye record will be IL working.
en- land him in the presidential -
Iair. There is not the slightest