New-York tribune., 1908-10-22

evening made public a letter which he had sent
to Senator PhiIander c. Knox. of Pennsylvania
referring to certain statements made by Sen
ator Knox on Tuesday evening at the Union
League Club meeting in Philadelphia In his
speech Mr. Knox discussed Mr.. Bryan's atti-
tude toward labor and the efforts Of Mr. Com
pers and others to swing the labor vote 70 the
Democratic candidate. The Presidents letter
follows:
October II. 1908
In vour admirable speech Of yesterday you
speak Of the action Of Mr.. Bryan ana certain
gentlemen claiming to be the special represent
atives of organized labor. foremost among them
Mr. CIOmpers, to secure the support OF laoOItls
men for Mr. Bryan on consideration OF Ms
aereeroant TO perform certain acts nOminaIly n
the interest OF organized labor Whlch Woul9
really be either wholly lneHectVe or 80 7to-
widespread injury not only TO organized IdooE
hut to all decent citizens throughout TINS cOun-
try You have peculiar right 20 spear ~
neJy General first actively invoked the great
power of the federal government on D DeIdI -
the rights of labor. when Tor the IlISC I1ro- oe-
the history Of the government E"I' -
for the Department Of Justice, interVened IN
private lawsuit which had gone against galL ..1o
widow of a brakeman, and BY your lnLeiN
tfon secured from the Supreme Court CON-
struction of the safety appliance aCt t NliI--
made il a vital remedial statute ana IhsITIoLs T
bae secured 10 hundreds of crippled employees
and widows Of crippled employees coIlpeIISa -
which they would not otherwise nave g OotaI1EC -
The daily papers Of October Is contain al
omen letter from Samuel GOmpers. preslGeIl-
of the American Federation OF LABOR apPealiii7
to wOrkfnguen 10 vote for Mr. Bryah -
In that letter are certain definite statements
which interest the wider American puoiC QGIt9
as much those to whom Nlr. tIOILL . ~ -,o+I
his appeal These statements WdTIdIl. a a -
have said in your speech and tney Wou-u 49,, Nc
rant you III asking Mr. Bryan 20 say Pe1O,+y at+i
whether Mr. Gompers states correcLy ~. ~ 80
tuda of his party and himself on suoJect ~ ~
is Of vital concern TO every citizen. HcluuIuS
everv business man. well as every IaLLIe- e
go s1-ar1- Iaboring man who looks to the courts
for the protection Of his rights -. 49,.
Mr. COnpers in his letter asserts that tns
-, Jtdj - mis- country is destroying demo
cratic government and substituting tnereIor an
IRRESPONSIBLE and corrupt despotsm IN Ihe IN, II
terest of corporate power; and he furtheT mas -
49, that The means by which he believes tnlS
alleged despOtfsm has been set up IN til5 pLaG -
of democracy is by the process u NlJ1-i
the courts of equity - -. II ,-
Mr. Gompers in his letter states lllaI IIL5o IL
neal to the Republican convention az GlIIaS G5IS
for remedy against the injunction was ue.liee. 80
and he then goes on to state not only tnat tno
Democratic party promised Tersay' % 0ef s a.
ised him the particular reIleuS 'A1s -
ready asked Of Congress
His words are:
I.abor,s representatives then went to ne Deno- -
cratic party That party nadS laoQC 2 ; ar o-ice
rs Us hose renedies which labor had already SUD
ritted TO Congress
The last sentence in this quotation indcalTS
very definitely the speclhc rTIIeIIes r.s sr+y- has
pledged itself
THE BRYAN LABOR PLANK
His statement now makes perfect.sy ga Ia-bi~5
i1Dortant plank in the Bryanlte plaLLoLL!- %
@ to-s+of,ra seemed puzzEng 20 a FdSt L-LL-
be- Of earnest minded, thinking peop5]@, ] y s15
sinceLeI$ $-is+a aspiratfons OF labor, and wno
ols sfTITI. read both platforms to know PIeCIsy P,
1-bat homes each holds out Tor Ihe lllip1
OF the conditions Of wage ear
That plank reads as IOlio"S-
Questions o, judicial practice have arisen Sts1,,ts
DeciaIIv in connection with lndG@ GJi-i.1 p-6cee1-
We sJIIld be treated with rigid lmpaIllsS m @ ssss
that intunctfons should not De 7Ja If nc indus
in which injunctions WIusG I5 N''
trial dispute were involved
This is the plank that promises the 1sllsa
4. IHIs iojnnrtiOns which Nr- Gompers a~SNea $50
of Mr. Bryan's party. In actual !dC'' II, - ro1,I5
absolutely nothing; no chaHs0 =. 49, f-t5a r1OII-I-
a. Losed on il. no without INSIDE NIioWI-
80 could foreteII what it's meaning would turn
ont 70 he for no man could toreJeli no" ~ y-s
,I5 80 l4scI4e IN any given case. as the plank ao-
--a,+I1- leaves each Judge free 10 say WLeH 10
issues an injunction in a labor case II VIZ t.
not il is ca in which an inIuhCtlo g1 ,<t -. -,
If Ia b,r vere not involved 1eL tii9 > L L 80
Tare1tIv perfectly clear 70 MI tIoiIlpe[S 80
in his letter his followers ne lnqleates OeSo1 @
question Just what he understands u 20 iIea,- s,
H. osserrs that ne has the requisite inSl1s
knowledge His statement that MI BIZ yan
Tart,- Cf5r II was Mr. Bryan who dictated ths
6Iatforml pledged itself "to those remedies
plyjcT labor had already submitted to Congrezs'
is a perfectly clear and definite statement
The remedies which Mr.. GOmpers has al
ready submitted to Congress are matters or rec
ord and the identification OF his remedy
against fnjunCtiOns in labor disputes is easy
and certain This remedy" is embodied IN
House bill No. 94 OF the first session Of the 60th
Congress. the complete text OF which is hereto
appended.
The gist of ;he bill. as can be seen by refer
ring TO the complete text. is this:
Ffrzt-After forbidding any federal judge TO issue
dfsnIte exCspt TO prevent frrepsra5ie I1i,1rJ ~
property or a property right, II Specifically pro-
Woes that no IlSlit . 70 CdLIy on business
or at all. shall be construed held. considered Or
treated property or as constituting a property
Second-It provides that nothing agreed upon or
done by two more parties in connection with 4
Iabor dispute shall constitute conspiracy or other
tba thing agreed moon or done would be unlawful
if done by single individual
THE GOMPERs REMEDY
The bill here described is not only the rem
edv" that Mr.. GOmpcrs has already submitted
10 Congress- but it is the one and only "renedy
which he and those associated with him N his
present movement have announced that they VIII
accept in the matter OF his grievance against
the courts on the injunction issue
The counsel for the American Federation Ot
Labor. and Mr. tiOmpers. its president. are both
on record TO this effect
At IA hearing before the House COMMITTEES on
Judiciary. the counsel for the American Fedora
tion OF Labor February 8. 1905 tas appears
from the printed hearags), stated:
The hill was considered by at least two sessions
of the executive coulcu OF tIN't OI-iI15tSn On anu anu
~ ts national cOnVentionS-the two latest-aud by
tneSe e nropasi3ions 10 amend it, in the face Of
MANY proposed substitutes In the face or pressure
from every direction. from hish sources ana ana
and is to-day standing N TINS oiii WltiouI