Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-26

believe that they should support
him because he has by his actions
over and over again proved him
self to be a singularly fearless and
effective champion Of the rights of
labor; and, above all. l feel that
they should support him as good
American citizens. because he en-
bodies what is best and highest in
our American citizenship"
In response to a letter from p. H. Grace
a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmen. inquiring about Mr.. Tafts rec
ord in respect to injunctions and labor
matters in general President Roosevelt
has written to Mr.. Grace. reviewing Mr..
Tafts attitude toward labor and explain
ing the work of the administration to-
ward ameliorating industrial conditions.
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY.
The President replied as follows:
October 10, 1908.
My Dear Mr.. Grace:
l thank you for your letter. I need
hardly say that take peculiar interest
in the men who work on the railroads in
this country. and l prize as one of the
honors of which l am most proud the
fact that l am an honorary member of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen.
throughout my whole term dS fToSl-
dent. now in its eighth year. l have de-
voted myself with especial interest to the
questions affecting labor. The lasting
prosperity of this country rests upon the
welfare of the Wageworker and the well
fare of the tiller of the SOIL My greatest
aid and desire have been to do all that in
me lies to advance their interest. / wish
to help them to get the best out of their
present positions; l wish to help them
make those positions permanently better,
of permanently greater Importance and
reward. No consideration of party fealty
or personal friendship would induce me to
advise either farmer or working man to
do anything that was not for his perma-
nent benefit. With that fact keenly be-
fore me. l earnestly advise all working
men. but above all as American citizens
concerned in the honor and the prosperity
of this great free republic. to support Mr..
Taft for President; just as l advise all
farmers. business men and men of the
professions.
Taft and Injunctions.
I do not believe the wageworkers of
this country have ever had better friend
in the White House than Mr.. Taft will
prove to be. He has already shown his
faith by his deeds In the matter of the
njunctions he issued he was absolutely
right. and the principles he laid down In
cepted by every worthy leader of labor,
and they are embodied in the principles
and practices of all the railroad brother
hoods at the present day The abuses of
injunction have been fearlessly exposed
and attacked by Mr.. Taft He recognizes
as in my judgment all fair-minded men
must recognize, that again and again in
the past this process has been used to the
detriment of wageworkers by certain
judges. He is doing and will continue to
a hn To do
away with these abuses. He will not
make vague promises impossible of fulfill
ment He will actually and in good faith
try to secure action. Let me give you an
example of what he has just done.
1.-The President then relates circumstances
connected with the case of the Iron Mold
ers' Union against the Allis-Chalmers
Company of Milwaukee, when an injunc-
ton suit in the United States circuit court
was fled
Taft Recommended Counsel.
Mr.. Taft satisfied himself of the facts
and at once became exceedingly indig-
nant at such an injunction having issued.
He stated that in his opinion the position
taken by the court in issuing the injunc-
ton was clearly untenable and that what
was needed was that the union should get
some first-class lawyer to represent them
and should bring the case before the high
er courts.
The case was argued before the United
States circuit court of appeals by
Mr.. Judson and Mr.. Rubin of Milwaukee,
for the union. and by Mr.. James NJ. Beck
counsel for the National Manufacturers
Association. for the company.
Court Agrees With Taft.
The decision of the court was handed
down in Chicago on the 9Th day Of this
month, and it justifies Judge Taft's wis
| dom. for 1t sustains the most important
contentious of the labor unions The
| court holds that while under the facts
of the case the company was entitled
to some injunction relief. the decree went
far beyond the proper limits. 1t struck
out of the decree all of the provisions
which prevented peaceful picketing or
the exercise of the right of persuasion
in inducing employees to join the strike
and also all reference to boycotting on
the ground that there was no boycott,
as the members of the union had right
to refuse to handle struck work-that
is, the work from factory where they
were on strike-wherever' they found
it. The opinion is important especially
in showing that much can now be accom-
plished in getting the courts to correct
abuses against employees in the exercise
of the power of Injunction If such abuses
are in effective form brought to their
attention. as. thanks to the advice of
Judge Taft, they were brought in this
and persuasion so that employees may
by peaceful means induce other employees
to join them is forcibly set forth in this
opinion. and 1t bases its decision largely
upon Judge Taft's decision and upon the
decision in the Wabash Injunction case
which itself was largely based upon Judge
Taft's decision; so that Judge Taft's de-
cision is declared by the court to have
settled the law as to the substantial rights
OF the parties. leaving only the applica-
ton of the principles SO declared as new
cases arose.
80 more striking instance could not
be imagined of the Jealous effort of a pub
lie servant, which Judge Taft then was, to
secure justice for workingmen to whom
he thought injustice had been DONE al
though the matter was not within his i'm
mediate control at the time. In this one
instance Mr.. Taft rendered to labor a
great and signal service: a practical
service. which shared the popularity of
Mr.. Taft's other services, for his services
take the form Of deeds rather than Of
mere words.
Taft and Narramore Case.
While on the bench Mr.. Taft rendered q
service to labor so great that it can
hardly be overestimated. This was in
the Narramore case against the Cleye-