Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-31
By EDWIN S. POTTER.
Editor Universal News Analysis.

Despite the Depression.
Republicans Retain Control.
Looking now calmly and dispassion-
ately back across the field of conflict
y Ing interests and balancing forces
which shaped the American presiden-
y tial campaign of 1908, one incontest-
able conclusion forces itself on the
open mind 1t is that majority of
the people became convinced in one
way or another that it Is better to
bear the evils that they have than to
ny TO others that they know not Of
and to give the trust regulating poll
cies of President Roosevelt a longer
and faire -"ial in the hands of his
favorite William Howard
Taft. people became so
minded on to which no an
swer 1 to suit all kinds of
parti .alient facts can. how
eyey tied briefly and with
his rtiality.
was issued the challenge
lant personality and off
party in power which was
- lie in many ways the plans
~ of the different parties for
ire of the American electorate
s, the message of President
cit to congress advocating his
IN of radical legislation.
June 16 at Chicago the Republic
got together. They cheered forty
autes when Chairman Lodge eulo-
s-ked the president and seated all the
Taft contestants. The thoroughness of
this operation caused it to be described
as the administration steam roller"
of which Frank II. Hitchcock was the
engineer The only fight was on the
court Injunction plank Samuel Com
pers, head Of the A. r. of H. and other
leaders of organized labor. confronted
with numerous court decisions unfa-
vorable to their methods and facing
lower wages or lack of work for many
workers, had decided to fight in the
open for the party whose labor plank
suited them best Despite the warn
ings of the Gompers cabinet before
the platform committee the plank final
ly adopted at Chicago was not TO their
liking. Van Cleaye, Cannon, Crane
and other Republican leaders insisted
upon upholding the integrity of the
courts but asserting that the rules of
Enjunction procedure be more accu-
rately defined by statute and that no
injunction should issue without due no.
tice except where irreparable injury
would result from delay" William II.
Taft of Ohio was nominated for presi-
dent on the first ballot and James S.
Sherman of New York for vice presi-
dent
On July Z at Denver the national con-
yention of the Democratic party as
sembled with the knowledge that an
overwhelming majority of it's delegates
were pledged to the nomination of VIII
liam J. Bryan of Nebraska The big
gathering broke all records for continu-
Gus cheering when the blind Oklahoma
senator. Gore, eulogized the Nebraskan,
the demonstration lasting eiglty-seven
minutes. Bryan was nominated on the
first ballot, although the names of
Johnson and Gray were presented
John W. Kern of Indiana. with the ap-
prevail of Bryan, was named for second
place.
~ AS in the Republican convention, the
main contest had to do with the word
ing of the injunction or labor plank of
the platform. Gompers was present
and gave his assent to the plank finally
agreed upon. While asserting that the
courts of justice are the bulwark of
our liberty it demanded a mOdifica-
ton of the injunction law so as to pro
vide for a trial by jury in cases Of In
direct contempt. 1t declared agaius;
treating labor organizations as Illegal
combinations in restraint of trade, IA
vored the eight hour day and promised
general employers liability law.
Bryan at once induced his executive
committee to say that it would reject
all corporate gifts, would limit individ
ual donations to $4,000 and would
publish on Oct 10 and daily thereafter
the names of givers of 500 and up
ward. The final total published afte,
election was $620.G44 from $4,000 con
tributors. Although the Republican
convention had rejected a publicity
plank, Taft and his managers decided
1 to work under the New York law ana
publish names and amounts of contrib
utors after the election Their funds
totaled $1.G55,51S
Frank III. Hitchcock, who had engl
neered the Taft canvass, was chosen
chairman of the Republican nationa
committee, and George r. Sheldon wa:
made treasurer. The Democrats elect
ed Norman e. Mack, the Buffalo news
paper proprietor, as their nationa
chairman and Governor Haskell of Ok
lahoma as holder of the purse. Whe.
Treasurer Haskell resigned. his plac
was filed by Herman Ridder, editor o
the New York Staats-Zeitung.
July %, at Cincinnati, Taft Delivers
his speech of acceptance. He frankl
pccepted the role of "me too by ds
1nding the Roosevelt policies in thei
entirety and explaining that his work
IF elected, would be to carry on thos
reforms in detail.
Aug. Il, at Lincoln. Neb., Bryan wa
notified of hiS uomip9t ion and SOiInda