The San Francisco call., 1908-10-22
President Writes Letter TO Sem
atOr Knox, Taking Issue
With Labor Leader
Attacks Democratic Injunction
Plank and Calls for an
Explanation
Declares Proposed Legal REM
edy" Empty Sham Used to
y DeIude WOrkingmen

WASHINGTON. Oct. 2l.-Cam-
paign literature was enriched today
by letter from President Roosevelt
addressed to United States Senator
'Philander c. Knox of Pennsylvania.
IN which Mr.. Roosevelt pays his re-
spects to Samuel Gompers. president
of the American federation of labor.
Speakins at Philadelphia on Tues
day. Senator Knox took issue with
Gompers on the question of the atti-
tude OF organized labor in the present
campaign. and the Presidents letter
Of today is IN support Of Knox's views.
The letter follows:
nv Dear Senator Knox In your
admirable speech OF yesterday you
certain gentlemen claiming 10 be the
special representatives. OF organized
labor, foremost among them Mr.
G0mpers- to secure the support Of Ia
boring men for Mr.. Bryan on consid-
GRAFTON OF his agreement TO perform
certain acts nominally in the interest
OF organized labor, which would be
really either wholly Ineffective or else
OF widespread injury not only 10 or
Eanized labor. but 10 all decent citi-
zeus throughout the country. You have
peculiar right TO speak on the labor
questions, for II was you, who as
attorney general, first actively invoked
the great power Of the federal govern
ment on behalf Of the rights Of labor
Whea for the first time in the history
OF rhe government You. speaking for
the department OF justice, interviewed
IN a private lawsuit which had gone
against a locomotive fireman who had
lost an arm IN coupling cars. and by
your Intervention secured from the
safety appliance act which made II a
vital remedial statute. and therefore
has secured 10 hundreds Of crippled
sEnpi0yes and WIDOWS OF crippled EN-
a YES compensation which they would
~ have otherwise obtained.
he daily papers Of October l3 con-
Gompers, president Of the American
federation Of labor. appealing to work
ingmen 10 vote for Mr.. Bryan.
IN that letter are certain definite
statements which interest the Amer
lean public quite as much as those to
whom Mr.. GOmpers makes his appeal
These statements warrant all you have
said in your speech, and they would
warrant you in asking Mr. Bryan TO
say publicly whether Mr.. Gompers
states correctly the attitude OF his
party and himself on a subject that Is
or vital concern TO every citizen, in
Guiding every businessman, as well as
every farmer and every labOrer who
looks 70 the courts for the protection
Of his rights.
Mr.. Compers in his letter asserts
that the judiciary of this country is
destroying democratic government and
substituting therefor am irresponsible
and corrupt despotism in the interest
Of cOrporate power. and he further
makes clear that the means by which
he believes this alleged despOtism has
been set up in the place Of democracy
IS by the process Of injunction in the
courts OF equity
AYERS DEMOCRATS
PROMISED REMEDY
1Ir. Gompers in his letter states that
his appeal 10 the republican conven-
tiOn At Chicago for remedy against
the injunction was denied and he then
goes on 10 state not only that the
democratic party promised a remedy,
but promised him the particular RENE
dy that he had already asked of con-
gress. His words are: -Labor's rep
leseutatiVes then went TO the demo-
cratic party. That party made labor's
contentious its own 1t pledged its
candidates for every Office 10 those
remedies which labor had already sub
mitted 10 congress
The last sentence in this quotation
Indicates very definitely the specific
remedies to which Mr.. GOmpers under
stands Mr. Bryan's party has pledged
itself
His statement now makes perfectly
clear an important plank in the
Brysniue platform which has hereto
of earnest minded thinking people
who are sincerely interested in the
steady advance, the legitimate aspira-
4 lions Of labor and who carefully read
both platforms 10 know precisely wha;
hopes each hold out for the improve
ment Of the conditions Of wage earn
ers.
The plank reads as follows:
Questions OF judicial practice have
arisen. especially in connection witt
industrial disputes We deem that th'
parties 10 all judicial proceeding
should be treated with rigid impartial
ity and that in5unctions should not b'
issued IN any cases in which Injunction.
would not issue II no industrial dis
pute We're involved"
This IS the plank that promises tn,
remedy against injunctiOns which
Mr. GOmpers asked Of Mr. Bryan's par
tv In actual fact, ii means absolutel,
nothing, no change Of the law could b'
based on II; no man without inside
knOwled0a could fOreteli what its mean
ing would turn out 10 be. for no maj
could foretell how any Judge would de
eide IN any given case, as the pianl
apparently leaves each judge free [.
say. when ne issues an Injunction IN
labor case. whether. or not II is q cas-
IN which an injunction would be issues
II labor were not involved. Yet thi
plank Is apparently perfectly clear 4
Mr. Gompers, and IN his letter to hi
followers he indicates beyond question
just what he understands it to mean
He asserts that he has the requisite in
side knowledge His statement tha
Mr. Bryan's party lfor il was Nj
Bryan who dictated the platform
pledged itself Ito those remedies whicl
3abor had already submitted to con
gressr IS a perfectly clear and definit
statement.
GOMPER's ~REMEDY-
EASILY IDENTIFIED
The remedy which Mr.. Gompers ha
already submitted to congress is a mat
ter Of record and the Identification o
his remedy against inJunctions II
labor disputes is easy and certain
This remedy" Is embodied in hous
bill No. "a OF the first session Of th
sixtieth congress, the complete text O
which is hereto appended The gist O
The bill, as can be seen by referring t
the complete text. is this.
First. after forbidding any fedora