The Detroit times., 1908-09-23
BRYAN HAMMERS
q. 0. p. HARD IN
VULNERABLE SPOTS
Continued from, pnwe one,

Against his platform that said
nothing. place my platform that
declares In favor OF the election
OF senators by the people as the
gateway TO other reforms: and as
against his personal inclinations
in this direction place Is years
of effort to secure the election OF
senators by direct vote OF the peo-
pie. | began the wrk for this re-
form Is years ago. and | have
worked for II ever since.
Il put II In the first platform on
which I ran for congress; | put 1t
in the platform on which | ran for
the senate; helped put 1t In the
three national platforms and am
so muchLin favor of II ithat IL
elected |. shall call a special SEES
sion of congress Immediately after
Inauguration and ask foc the cleo
ton of senators by direct vote OF
the people.
Rap for Uncle Joe.
THE third obstacle in the way
Of the rule Of the people Is TO be
found In the rules Of the house OF
representatives. They are des-
potic In character. and as inter
preted by the present speaker,
those rules prevent the rule or
the majority.
81 denounce this exercise OF
one-maA power as antaGonistic TO
our theory Of government, and
indorse the declaration OF the
platform that favors a change as
to enable majority OF congress
to run congress and transact the
business and make the laws.
But, my friends, I want to pass
from these questions that anect
the methods Of government on to
some issues which l desire to
present briefly. shall take up
first the labor question. There are
six labor questions mentioned In
our platform. On two propositions
the Democrats and epublicans are
In substantial agreement. Both
Of of us believe according to our
platforms in the eight-hour day
and the employers liability act.
but as the Republicans have been
In power for 10 years and as they
have refused to enact these very
laws which they now indorse In
their platform, / believe the labor
ing men can better trust the DEM
ocrats than the Republicans with
the carrying out Of these two
planks upon which both parties
agree.
Where Parties Differ.
But, my friends, I want to take
up four propositions upon which
the parties differ. The first labor
plank that / call your attention to
in our platform Is one demanding
the establishment Of a depart
ment OF labor with a cabinet Of
ficer at its head. believe that
those who toll are Untitled to a
representative in the presidents
council chamber, and II | am pres
ident | want representative of
the wage-earners In my cabinet
that L may consult him on all
questions that affect those who
toll
The second proposition affects
what is known as the antitrust
law. We believe that the labor
organizations should be taken out
from under the operation OF this
law. II It is necessary to have a
law regulating the labor organize
tons, let II be law made for
human beings and not law made
to regulate corporations that de-
velop into trusts.
There Is a third proposition.
namely, that the law should be
so amended that an injunction
shall not issue merely because Of
a labor dispute. Secretary Taft
says that no one has ever held
that a labor dispute was in itself
a sufficient excuse for an injunc-
ton. Well, II nobody has said
so, why Is anybody afraid Of our
platform that wants to make the
law simply to say that.
THE fourth difference between
us relates to trial by Jury in cases
OF indirect contempt, and I want
to dwell on this for a moment, be-
cause Mr.. Taft says our platform
Is the most insidious attack upon
the courts Of the country that has
ever been made In the nations
history.
"a case OF indirect contempt is
where the contempt Is not COM
-mitted In the presence of the
court, but must be established by
evidence presented before the
court. w contnd that II Is In the
nature OF a criminal prosecution.
Its punishment Is fine or impris-
onment, or both. and we contend
that, as Ii Ii In the nature of a
criminal prosecution. the man
charged with indirect contempt
should have the protection OF trial
by jury TO ascertain his guilt or
innocence.
I'm a criminal case the Judge
does not make the law; he Is not
the prosecuting attorney; he Is
the Judge, that Is all. but In a con-
tempt case the Judge issues the
order, the Judge prosecutes for its
violation: he Is the law-giver, he
Is public prosecutor. and he is
Judge, and II there is any place
where man ought to be entitled
to trial by Jury 1t Is where the
Judge attempts to combine In one
man the characteristics of law
maker, prosecutor and Judge.
Broader Argument.
Now I have spoken Of these
four planks upon which the par
ties differ and now l want TO say
to you that In taking UP the side
Of the laboring man We have
broader argument than one based
on his interests alone. The Demo-
cratic party is a permanent organ
ixation. II exists not only In this
country hut II exists I'm evorv