Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-26
So Declares President
Gompers Of AT. of |. in
Reply to Letter.
SHOWS CHANGE FRONT
Taft's Injunction Record Held
Up to Light by Union
Labor Leader.

Washington, Oct. 26-Replying to
President Roosevelt's letter to Senator
| Knox in reference to the application
of the writ of injunction in labor dis
putes, Samuel Gompers, president OF
| the American Federation of Labor. In
a statement issued today severely ar.
raigns the president for what he terms
"a change of position of at least ap-
parent friendship to bitter indefensi-
BILE antagonism''
| Often Talked With President.
| 1T has been my pleasure" M.
Gompers says, ito have oft had the
privilege of discussing with President
j Roosevelt a number of the fundamen-
tai questions of rights, justice and
moral and social uplift. Included in
| these discussions were the invasions
of personal rights and human liberty
by the courts in the injunction abuse.
1t is true that the president has not
always fully agreed with my conten-
tions, but he has never, until the pub
lication of his latest utterance limited,
much less charged, that anything that
he advocated was lawless, unfeeling.
despotic, brutal or wicked and yet the
rights for which the workers of the
country contend and which as best /
can | defend and advocate have been
as well known to him during the past
several years as they are when he now
so unjustifiedly undertakes to misrep-
resent my work, my motives and my
law-abiding citizenship. Surely that
opinion was not always entertained by
the president"
Approved ID Then.
M. Gompers says that last February
he sent Mr. Roosevelt an issue of the
American Federationist in which was
published the chapter, Some Equiyo-
cal Rights of Labor" from George A.
Ayers book, Moral Overstrain"
"The chapter Of the book" Mr.
Gompers says, 'is as keen criticism of
; the courts of the country in their de-
cisions affecting the rights, interest
and liberty of the workers as any
thing have said or written"
The president in acknowledging re-
ceipt of the article sent the following:
"The White House, Washington,
Jan. 81, 1908. My Dear Mr.. Gompers:
You may be amused to know that I
have sent copies of the Moral Over
strain TO Justices Day and McKenna.
| am glad that you were able to use it
, in the American Federationist and
thank you for sending me the copy OF
the magazine. Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
''To Samuel Gompers, Presiden.
American Federation of Labor, Wash.
: ington. D. c.
Is Desperate and Angry.
"The fact of the matter is" Mr.
3 GOmpers declares, that President
Roosevelt having made Injunction
Judge Taft the candidate of the re
publican party for president, and see
ing that the labor vote. which SO Otter
q has been corralled, diverted and per
,. verted by the politicians. is nov
:. aroused and determined to deliver it!
!. own vote: that the toilers will not bt
! cajoled, deceived or brow beaten ha.
= become desperate and angry. and in
{. his anger, by the worst exhibition o
% demagogism, tries to instill into TIL
employers and business men the fea
that their property and business ar
N in danger if a square deal implied b.
" equality before the law and humal
freedom. are accorded 20 the worker
- with all other citizens 1t is an exh
bition of impotent rage and disaI
"a pointment, and an awful descent fror
=, the dignity of the high office OF tn
president of the United States. "
ie one but himself will be deceived as I
ie the purpose of Mr.. Roosevelt.
~ Aroused as Never Before.
,r THE workers and liberty lovin
a. citizens are aroused as never bef6I
a. since 81. The battle cry for freedor
on is again taken up. Then it was for Il
union and the abolition of black sia
cry; today it is for the union, eqS1
,c rights and freedom for ALL" !
" Mr.. Gompers insists that the pre-
dent makes a direct and SPECIFIC
tack upon labor in his letter to 81
ator Knox
The pretense that the attack
upon me is too thinly veiied to
81 ceiye any one he adds. He strii
v ~ over my shoulder at the hearts Of
. m great rank and file of the workers q
as other liberty loving citizens OF 4
tcontinued on Ppse six.1