Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-22
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT GOES AFTER Mr.. G0MPERS.

boring men. business men, professional
men, farmers, or members of amy other
occupation, SO long as they have in their
souls the principles of sound American
citizenship, l denounce as wicked the
proposition to secure a law which. accord
ing to the explicit statement of Mr.
Gomrers, is to prevent the courts from
effectively interfering with riotous vio-
Ience when the object is to destroy
business, and which will legaliZe the
blacklist and the secondary boycott. both
of them the apt instruments of unmanly
persecution.
But there is another account against
Messrs. Bryan and Gompers in this mat
ter Ephraim feedeth on wind. Their
proposed remedy is an empty sham. Tney
are seeking to delude their followers by
the promise of a law which would DAM
age this country solely because OF the
vicious moral purpose that would be
shown by putting it upon the statute
books, but which would be utterly worth
less to accomplish it's avowed purpose.
have not the slightest doubt that such
a law as that proposed by Mr.. BRYAN
would, if enacted by Congress, be declared
unconstitutional by a unanimous SUI
preme court-unless, indeed, Mr. Bryan
were able to pack this court with men APP
pointed for the special purpose of de-
,laring such law constitutional. l hap
pen to know that certain great trust
magnates have announC ed within the past
few weeks in answer to the question as
to why they were openly or secretly ia
voring the election of Mr.. Bryan. that the
10 bat Mr
especially this law, would be wholly in
effective, because the court would I'M
louttedly throw them out, and that the
promises to enact them could therefore
be safely disregarded.
On July second, last, the special coun-
sci to the Central Association Of Build
ng Trades of New York Mr.. Edward ].
Gavegan, submitted to that association
an opinion in the matter of injunctions;
an opinion which was officially endorsed
md approved the same day by the Cen
tral Association of Building Trades of
New York In this opinion in discussing
proposals to do away with or modify the
power of issuing injunctions in industrial
| disputes, Mr.. Gavesan said that the pro-
l oosal to favor defendants in industrial
| disputes above all others would oe class
legislation and in the nature of special
| privilege. Special privilege is tile bane
# the lahorins man. Special privilege is
what creates powerful special interests.
What the wage-earner wants, ana all he
wants. is equality before the law =
1t is playing into the hands of special
| interests to enact laws which are GER
| tain of annulment by the courts, even
| when they are intended in good faith for
betterment of the workingmen. The spe
,ial interests would rather see thousand
| favorable but unenforcible new laws
enacted for the wage-earner than to have
i him learn the full power of d single eX-
| sting remedy. Tie remedies so Tar sug-
gested and made public cannot in the
! very. nature of our system furnish any
| needed relief. : Labor represent
| atives should concentrate and use their
| influence for the enactment of general
| measures calculated to protect and not to
| destroy the remedy of injunction" This
| is admirably sound commonsense, the
| opinion of the counsel to Il great labor
| body, endorsed ard adopted as it's own by
] that labor tody. 1t is a scathing con-
| 1elnnation Of the proposals, boil: vicious
/ md chimcrical, to which Messrs. Bryan
md Gompers are committed. They prom
/ Sc what would he in the highest degree
/ detrimental to the interests of the gener-
| II public if il could be performed, and
what as a matter Of fact could not be
| performed. l believe both in the pa
| .riotsm and the intelligence of the work
| ingmen. the lahoring men of America
| Therefore j do not believe that Trey can
be misled to their own deep hurt as
| Messrs. Bryan and Gompers seek to mis-
| lead them; I do rot believe that they
| will permit Mr.. Gonpers to deliver them
ike chattels to Mr.. Bryan in exchange
| for sham.
| Sincerely yours,
(SisneD THEODORE ROOSEV ELF.
Hon. +. G. Knox.
Il. S. s..
i Valley Zorro Do