New-York tribune., 1908-10-24
1 CONTRAST.
1t away

Mr. Taft-s attitude on the labor injunction
issue is absolutely straightforward and candid
To has no need of a side partner like MI Com
,.ars IN tell the public what he means, With the
privilege of repudiatng the interpretation IL II
PROMISES 10 lose votes. Mr.. Taft, as lawyer
and iudge knows exactly what he Is talklns
about The makers and defenders of the Denver
Injunction plank point 10 its unintelliglble ana
tricky phrases and say they speak for them
selves.
To an audience of laboring men in Indiana
Mr. Taft said on Thursday:
II 1.-THE iniunction1 is remedy that ought 10
be enforced against any one who does ia"
less act that cannot have adequate remedy o. a.
law and TO have it abolished merely because II
has sometimes been abused and sometimes Is.
sued against laboring men is 20 oesuoS @ VIC
character OF our courts IS TO destroy the sclence
OF law. and is to enact class legislauoh tlial
when you think Of it. you Will utterly qlsaP
prove II YOU want to know What
have decided l can tell you. I have laid down
the rights of laboring men in this wise; tHst,
that man has the right to leave the employ @
of anybody and nobody can enjoin MN lroin
so doing: that he has the right TO unite win
his fellows and go on q strike, ana nooouy Calt
enioir him from doing so: that he has the rlghI
ro associate with his fellows in trade unions and
appoint officers and have these officers advise
him what TO 90. and that If he does NOT 90 'laI
he may by consent be excluded from the aSSo-
citation: that he has the right TO raise FUNDS oy
assessments so s to support those who are en-
gagged in e strike: that he ought 20 unite III
order that he may be strong and powerful
as his employer when they are engaged IN g.
controversy, but that he has no right 10 destroy
his employers property. and that he has no
right to institute q secondary boycott
That is q clear definite and courageous state
ment How explicit ii seems alongside This
cryptic declaration from the Denver platform
Questions Of judicial practice have arisen, es-
reriaIIv in connection with industrial disputes.
We deem that the parties to all judicial pro-
ceedings should be treated with rigid impair
tialty. and that iniunctions should not be IS
sued in arv ases in which injunctious would
not issue If no industrial dispute were involved
Mr.. BRYAN said ar Chicago on Labor Day
that the Denver plank copied the language
which the labor organizations submitted 10 the
Republican and Democratic conventions" Mr..
Gompers said at DanvilIe. III, on the same day
that the Denver convention made our labor de
mands the demands of the Democratic party"
Mr. Compers who ought to know, thus declares
that the Democracy indorsed the proposal TO
abolish a property right the right TO carry
on business of any particular kind at any par
+icular place and annu the crime of conspiracy
in connection with the blacklist and the second
srv boycott. The Philadelphia Record de-
noIInces rhis nterpretati tion and eXclaims indig-
nantly: No one dares to accuse Mr.. Bryan Of
"favoring the legalization Of the blacklist and
secondary boycotting.
It seems to us that Mr.. Gompers has "ac-
cused" Mr. Bryan Of favoring the legalization
Of the blacklist and secondary boycott Mr..
Rrvan can repel that accusation only by im-
tating Mr.. Taft's frankness and telling the pub
lie explicitly what he thinks the Denver plat
form declaration means.