Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-08

in restraint of trade has aroused the
suspicion that they have been classed
together for the purpose of shielding
the combinations of capital AS the
result of Is years Of antitrust legisla-
ton, only one man has been given a
penal sentence for violating the fed
eral law on this subject, and that man
was a member of. labor organization
rather than a trust magnate. The la
boring man is justified in his demand
that distinction shall be drawn be-
tween the labor organization and the
industrial monopoly.
The trust and the labor organization
cannot be described in the same Ian
guage. The trust magnates have used
their power to amass swollen fortunes,
while no one will say that the labor
organization has as yet secured for its
members more than their share of the
profits arising from their work. But
there are fundamental differences.
The trust is a combination of dollars;
the labor organization is an associa-
tion of human beings. In a trust a
few men attempt to control the prod
ucts of others: in labor organization,
| the members unite for the protection
of that which is their own, namely
their own labor, which, being neces
sary to their existence, is a part OF
them The trust deals with dead mat
ter; the labor organization deals with
life and with intellectual and mora
forces. No impartial student of the
subject will deny the right of the la
boring man to exemption from the OPP
Grafton of the existing antitrust law
Deal With Man as Man.
If the labor organization needs to be
regulated by law, let it be regulated
by law which deals with man a.
man, and not by law that was aimed
to prevent the cornering of a commodi
ty or the forestalling of the market.
| shall not speak of the S-hour day
or of the employers liability act, be
cause both of the leading parties have
endorsed these reforms; the only Ques
ton to be considered is: which part.
can best be trusted to secure these re
forms? l need hardly assure you tina
am heartily in favor of both reforms
There are two questions, however
intimately connected with the labo
problem upon which the democratic
| and republican parties do not agree
and | not only feel at liberty to dis
cuss these, but, under the circum
stances, | have no right to ignor
|, them. One relates to the issue of in
, functions, and the other to cOntemp
, cases arising under injunctions TIL
| republican convention did not dea
candidly with the laboring man on tn
subject of the writ of injunction. Sec
| rotary Taft has endeavored to ament
his platform in this respect and t
, make some promises, which are nc
: supported by his platform, but hi
: promises offer nothing substantial il
the way of reform, and are not binC
ing on republican senators and men
bers. The republican congress has a
, ready made a record on labor ques
tons, and the republican party cannO
escape from that record.
Mr.. Taft's speech may be considere
+ as binding upon him. but the CONVEX
ton which selected the republican car
didates endorsed the republican pla
f form-not Mr.. Tafts personal view:
; The republican platform, while pre-
, tending to pledge some modification c
the law. contains an exception claus
! which reiterates the very language c
, the law. Whether this exception claus
, was inserted by accident or design, tn
, effect is the same. 1t merely provide:
in substance, that restraining order
| shall not issue without notice eXcer
where such order can now issue will
out notice. The platform was a tr
umph for those who have been oppos
/ ing the laboring man. and they hav
been Boosting of their victory
Copies Labor Demand.
The democratic platform on this sui
ject copies the language which the Ii
5 Dor organizations submitted to the re