The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-02-21

is the Roosevelt element; against Fair
banks the friends Of Beveridge; against
Taft the Foraker forces; against La
Toilette the so called stalwarts.
Adjust ev2... ;G;,,S who is mentioned
as even possible Republican nominee
there is aligned bitter and an ir-
reconcilable faction in his own state. 4
factional dissenSion which means the
loss Of votes.
Democratic Unity.
AS against this obvious disunion on
the Republican side is complete unity
among Democrats. 1t is perfectly true
that there are several possible candi-
dates for the presidency in the Dem,
ocratic party. This is as it should be.
The Democracy does not want cut
and dried convention, with the nomi-
nation Of any one man a foregone
conclusion. The party wants several
candidates and expects that the names
of several men will be presented to its
convention. No doubt JudSon Har-
mon will have through his friends a
hearing there. Doubtless the name OF
Senator Charles a. Culberson, the
leader Of the Democratic minority in
the senate and man against whose
patriotism and Democracy no word
of criticism can be uttered, will be
offered for consideration. Probably,
too, Governor John a. Johnson will be
suggested to the delegates, and his
work in the cause Of Democracy in
the northwest, where to be Demo
crat means to take long chances po-
liucally, justifes respectful hearing
for the claims OF his friends. Possibly
Judge Gray Of Delaware will have
his state delegation, and it is just
barely possible that Massachusetts
may present the name Of former Gov
ernor W. L. Douglas of that state.
But multitude Of candidates does
not necessarily mean number Of fac
tional fights. In the Democratic Or
ganization today there is no such bit
ter personal factional fight as that
which is tearing the Republican party
to pieces in Ohio or in New York. In
the Democratic convention every man
will have bis day in court. So far as
know, and I have been in position
to watch the matter rather carefully,
no aspirant for the Democratic nomi-
nation has so conducted his campaign
as to prevent either his receiving the
loyal support of any other aspirant
should he be nominated or to estop
him from giving his own support to
whosoever may be the nominee Of the
The President and Labor.
Within a few days, possibly before
the publication of this letter, President
Roosevelt will send in another mes
sage which will probably make the
conservative element in his party
stand against. This one is going to be
chiefly on labor questions. 1t is going
to urge amendments Of the antitrust
law so that it can no longer be used,
as thus far it has been chiefly used,
against organized labor. The admins
tration has been alarmed by the three
decisions of the United States supreme
court bearing upon the labor question
within the last two or three months.
Every decision has been against the
interests OF labor and the working peo-
pie in general. It Is true that the ad-
Is not responsible and
should not be held responsible for
what the United States supreme court
may do. But it so happens that every
law which the court has had occasion
to construe bearing upon the labor
question has been Republican law,
and two or three Of these statutes Were
enacted during the reign Of Roosevelt.
The court has declared unconstitution-
al the act making employers liable for
damages for accidents occurring to
employees during the prosecution Of
their duties. 1t has prohibited the boy
colt as a combination in restraint Of
trade. A lesser United States court has
even declared that to publish the name
of a firm as unfair" is illegal. These
decisions, coming one fast upon the
heels of the other, have naturally wor-
ried the president, who is very much
in politics today. His pet candidate for
the Republican nomination, Secretary
Taft, is somewhat unpopular in labor
circles because Of the eagerness with
which when he was United States
judge he seized upon the device OF gov
ernment by injunction and gave it the
widest use that it received anywhere
IN the United States.
There was talk enough about Taft's
hostility to labor before these decl-
sions were handed down. AS a result
the whole politics Of the administra-
ton recently has been directed toward
correcting the feeling among the mem
bers Of organized labor that Taft and
the administration do not stand for its
interests. One illustration Of this has
been the sudden removal from office of
Public Printer Stillings. Mr.. Stillings
had been public printer for nearly two
years despite the bitter protests Of rep
resentatives Of the Federation Of La
bor and of other organizations. On the
labor side Stillings was charged with
having Systematically violated the
statute fixing eight hours rs the work
ing day in all United States Offices or
shops. More serious charges were
brought against him bearing upon bis
personal relations with contracting