The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-10-23

mi. Gompers, Nj. organs open an,
avowed ally, has la2er attacked til,
federal courts In unmeasured terms o
reproach because by q long line o
decisions, the equity courts have re
fused to make an outlaw Of the busI
ness man because his right to carr.
on a lawful business under the peac,
OF the law has been protected by til,
process Of Injunction because, in /,
word, me OF the most vital and mos
fundamental rights ~ the bushes.
world, the right Of q business man Il
carry on his business, has been sus
and not denied by the processei
Of the courts Of equity. This sweeping
attack Of Mr.. Gompers upon the Judi
ciary has been made In a frank and
open effort to secure votes for MT
Bryan. Are these attacks made Will
Mr.. Bryan's consent7
do they meet with his approval?
Does he endorse them or does he
repudiate them?
"Mr. Bryan has frankly questioned
Mr.. Taft during the progress Of thif
campaign and very properly so, asking
him to make clear his stand on pub
lie matters on which the public are
entitled to be informed. In turn, with
equal frankness and with equal pro
priety, Nj. Bryan should be asked tt
break q long continued silence and
make definite and lcertain his own
position In regard to the matters
which concerns not only business men
and every decent, law abiding citizen,
whether q wage Garner or not, just
as much as it concerns Mr.. Gompere
and that part Of organized labor
which stands with him.
Does Bryan Accept oompers' View?
There is none Of the general gen
eralities of vague expression Of sym.
.pathy for labor. Let Mr. Bryan sim
ply confine himself to the anit-injunc.
ton plank Of his W platform and
tell us publicly, definitely and clearly
whether he acoepts or repects the
statement of Mr.. Gompers that this
plank pledges him to the principles
of the bill for which Nj. Gompers
stands; and whether IL he will endeav-
or to have his proposal enacted into
law. This is asked honestly, in the
interest of that large voting public
which believes sincerely IA the promo
ton OF every legitimate right and In
terest Of labor, but which believes also
that from the standpoint of the best
interest of labor 1t neither requires
nor is entitled to more than justice
and that the right to destroy business
should not be formally recognized in
the law Of the land.
Advance Cause OF Labor.
81 feel that 1 have the right to speak
frankly in this matter, because
throughout my term as president 1t
has been my constant object to do
everything in my power, both by adj
ministrative action and by endeavor-
ing to secure legislative action to adj
vance the cause of labor, protect it
from unjust aggression, and secure to
it its legitimate results. I have &C
complished something; / hope to &C.
complish something more before I
leave ofice; and / have taken special
and particular interest in Mr.. Taft's
because I believe that he
is the man best qualified for continu-
ing the work OF securing to the wage
workers Of the country their full
I will do everything in my
power for the wage workers except to
do what Is wrong. l will do wrong
for no man and with all the force with
in my power I solemnly warn the
laboring man of this country that any
man who advocates doing
wrong in their interest cannot be trust.
ed by them; and this whether his4
promise to do wrong is given know
that It is wrong or because Of
3 levity or Lack Of consideration which,
makes him willing to promise any.
thing without counting @e cost. II.
thereby support at the moment is pur-
Just as I have fought hard
and shall continue to fight hard to
bring about IN the fullest way the
recognition OF the employee to be
amply compensated for injury re-
in the course OF his duty, 80.
have fought hard and shall continue
10 fight hard to do away with all
abuses in the use OF the power Of
I will do everything I can
o see that the power Of injunction is
aot used to Cypress laboring men. I
will endeavor to secure them full and
equal justice. Therefore, in the inter
sst Of all good citizens, be they labor.
ng men, business men, professional
men, farmers OF members Of any other
occupation, 80 long as they have in
heir souls the principles Of sound
citizenship. | denounce as
wicked the proposition to secure q law,
according to the explicit state
nent Of Mr.. Gompers, is to prevent
he courts from effectively interfer-