The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-09-30
TAFT ON LABOR

AT the request OF number of labor
men, the Times publishes below the
address delivered by Judge Taft at
st. Cloud, Mimi, Monday, which was
particularly addressed to the labor
people. He said:
vi understand that st. Cloud is a
great center for labor, especially for
railway labor, and az that Is an issue
In this campaign that has attracted
some attention, thought would like
to say something with respect to the
matter Of the Republican party and
the attitude of its candidate toward
labor.
Il assume generally that laboring
men do not all vote one ticket. They
have independence of thought, they
have intelligence. they have various
reasons affecting the choice of candi-
dates and they will decide that nobody
carried the labor vote in his pocket
any more than he carried the business
vote, any more than he carries the
farmers vote. but there has gone
forth new evangel on that subject
and a gentleman has stepped forward
with a good deal Of avidity, and l may
add, to speak mildly, with good deal
of courage, and delivered over to Mr..
Bryan the entire labor vote.
II would like few crumbs that fall
from the table after Mr.. Gompers has
delivered all of them. His PROPOSE
ton Is that the Democratic party,
through its convention, is much more
friendly to labor than the Republic
can party, and that Mr.. Bryan
through his speeches is more friendly
to labor than I am.
Ordinarily one makes selection
Of an agent according to the record of
things done rather than according to
the record of things promised. The
Democratic party was in power for
four years. The Republicans have
been in power since that time. Labor
has during, the last twenty years or
ganized most effectively in its own in
terests. It has made its unions USE
full for its members. 1t has created
life insurance funds. 1t has created
funds which enable members to
carry on q strike, should it be neces-
sary in their interest.
1T has added greatly to the dis
cipline of each, to the rules that
govern each and also to 1t influence
on legislation by forming an intelli-
gent conception of what they want, of
what they need and then of going to
the legislatures and the congress.
Record Of Congress.
I'VE have the record of congresses
before us. Let us examine and tell
which party has responded most to
the demands and the requirements of
labor with reference to useful legis-
lation. In the four years the Demo-
cratic party had control of congress,
there was not a single act put upon
the statue book in the interest of la
Dor. In the Republican party there
have been passed seven most. import
ant measures in the interest of Ia
Dor. Way back in Harrisons time
Republicans passed the eight-hour
law for government employees, as an
impetus to the eight-hour movement.
They also passed the safety appliance
act for the interstate commerce rail-
road employees. Then in the Roose-
Welt administration they put On the
statute book the law as to the liabil-
ity ofrailroads for injury to interstate
commerce employees, abolished the
fellow-servant rule and abolished the
contributory negligence rule.
"They have limited the hours of
service on the railways to ten hours
for railway employees in order that
their eyes and ears and hands might
not become numb in long service, and
that danger might be averted both to
themselves and to the public. They
have put on the statue book a gov
eminent working mans compensation
act. Heretofore a government work.
fngman had no right to recover dam
ages should he lose his life or his
limb through the negligence OF a SUI
perior officer in the service of the gov
eminent. This had been changed.
They have appropriated 100000 to
look into the question of what is the
cause of these awful mine disasters.
Is Long Record.
"That is long record because
these statues are important statues
and. 1t takes time to pass them, and
they are all the legislation on the part
of tho Republican party. But they