The Detroit times., 1908-10-26
GOMPERS ASSAILS
ROOSEVELT FOR
LETTER TO KNOX
(ContIaued from Page One.)


right and the necessity OF organized
effort on the part OF wage-earners and
yet by injunctive process to forbid
peaceable action to accomplish the
lawful objects for which they are Or
ganized and upon which their sue
cess depends"
1T is the purpose OF the opponents
of labor to vilify the labor movement
through me-" adds Gompers, and Mr..
Roosevelt now Joins the chorus upon
the pretext that I have attacked the
federal courts.
Cites Justice Harlan. g
"As a man and as a citizen. have
nothing to regret; but / insist that
despite great provocation l have
always expressed my views and criti-.
cisms--perhaps In strong, yet respects
full language. IL anyone desires TO
look for criticism and arraignment OF
the supreme court OF the United States,
let him read the dissenting opinion ot !
Justice Harlan In the Barry Baldwin
VS.. Robert Robertson case. Let him I
read the opinions of the four dissent,
ing Justices when the supreme court
declared the law, limiting the bakers
stitutional. Let him read the four dis
senting opinions OF the supreme courts
decision when the Ave justices dc.
clared the income tax unconstitutional
No severer indictments were ever ex-
pressed by any citizen OF our couptry
against the invasions of the peoples
rights and liberties"
Mr.. Gompers then makes quotations
from the speeches and writings of JUS
tice Moody. OF the supreme court; Hon.
Thomas M. Cooley. president Of the
American Bar association; Gov. Pin
gree. Of Michigan; Judge Tuley, of
Illinois; Gov. Sadler, OF Nevada. and
others to the effect that judicial pro-
cedure had In many instances jeopar-
died the rights Of labor.
What "Moral Overstrain" Says. as
He cites the fact that the president
personally called his attention to q
chapter of George, A. Ayers book.
Moral Overstrain." which Mr.. Comp
ers had sent him. In which the au-
thor says:
Stated as concretely as possible.
the principal difference between the
working people and the courts lies In
the marked tendency OF the courts to
guarantee to the workman an academ-
ic and theoretic liberty which he does
not want, by denying him industrial
rights to which he thinks he Is ethi-
cally entitled. His grievance Is, that
in a multiplicity OF instances the
courts give what seems to him coun-
terfeit liberty in the place Of its real
fly"
Mr.. Gompers says the president told
him he had sent copies of this book
to Justices Day and McKenna.
In conclusion Mr.. Gompers says:
The fact Of the matter is that Pres
Ident Roosevelt, having made Injunc-
ton Judge Taft the candidate OF the
Republican party for president, and
seeing that the labor VOTE" which so
often has been corralled, diverted and
perverted by the politicians. Is now
aroused and determined TO deliver its
kown vote; that the toilers will not be
cajoled, deceived or brow-beaten, has
become desperate and angry, and In
his anger, by the worst exhibition or
demagogism, tries to instil into the
employers and these men the fear that
their property and business are In dan
ger II square DEAL" implied by
equality before the law and human
freedom, are accorded to the workers
with all other citizens. IL Is an ex-
hibition OF impotent rage and disap-
pointment, and an awful descent from
the dignity of the high ONCE of the
president OF the United States. No
one but himself will be deceived as
to the purpose of Mr.. Roosevelt"