The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1908-10-29
TAFT'S ELECTION
MEANS GOOD WAGES
Protective Policy Of the Republican
Party Means General Pros
perity and Steady Work.
Republicans Are Opposed to Reduc-
ing the American Laborer to the
Level Of Pauper Labor of Europe
Scale Of Wages.

In addressing himself to organized
labor at GAINESVILLE, Ohio, the other day,
the Hon. William Howard Taft said !:
II laid down the law and | laid down
the principles upon which the labor or
ganizations in this country have since
built up their prosperity and their use
%fulness, and instead OF saying that |
am an enemy. recognize that | am one
Of the greatest benefactors labor has
had. | decided the case against the
Brotherhood of Engineers and the
Brotherhood condemned me. In -four
years they got into court in st. Louis
and they had to cite my case to induce
the court to withdraw the injunction
there because | had laid down the prin-
ciples upon which they could organize.
could have their officers, could raise
their funds. could go on and conduct
strikes under advice of the officers,
and that case they induced, on the
authority of my decision. the Judge to
withdraw his injunction and they went
ahead and won the strike. That same
thing occurred in n court in Cincinnati.
and in n decision rendered in Chicago.
If you will examine the cases YOU will
find that instead of being an oppressor
of labor. | am its benefactor."
Taft's Labor Policy.
If Mr.. Taft is elected President he
will carry nut tie Republican policies
and give every man a square deal.
The protective tariff Of the Republican
party restored general prosperity to the
country, taking the place OF the de-
preston II ruin that was brought
on by Democratic Free Trade. The
tariff has protected our people against
the competition of the underpaid and
underfed workmen of foreign countries.
The condition Of these people is such
that no friend Of humanity can wish to
see 1t duplicated on this continent.
The laborer earns about twice as
much in America as he does in England
or continental Europe, and the purchas-
ing power Of a dollar is very nearly
equal. This has been made possible
through the Republican protective tar
iF.
Democracy VS.. Organised Labor.
The principles Of organized labor
championed by Judge Taft are i%rrecon-
cilable to the free trade policy Of the
Democratic party. The country can
have one, or the other, but not both.
Organized labor of this country Is pro-
tected from the sweating and under |
paid laborers of Europe only by pro
tective tariff. Labor unions exist. as !
Judge Taft says, to enable working
men, by union and combination among
themselves to meet employers on equal
terms, and to bargain with them.
If there were no labor unions and no
combination, capital would be too
strong and labor would be at the mercy
of capital. Another object is to secure
the highest wages which are consistent
with the conditions Of each trade, to
raise the standard of living and pre- !
vent unfair competition. Every one Of
these measures is opposed to Demo-
cratic free trade, which would mean
the degradation Of American labor to
the level Of the pauper labor of the Old
World.
What Gompers Said.
In 1897 at the time general prosperity
was returning. after three millions #
men had gone out Of employment on
of the Democratic free tr"',
President Gompers OF the Awy,j-
can Federation of Labor In his rern"t
used these words: 1T is agreed by AL
that the wage earners are the principal
consumers of American products. J.
necessarily follows that a reduction III !,
nag : involvesa dimlnution in the power
Of consumption. and consequently n pro.
decrease in production and
naturally also In the force of labor re-
for the production. A reduction
of wages. therefore. results I'm an in
crease In the army OF the unemployed"
Great Labor Record.
The Democratic padty has never
done anything for labor. All the In.
have been placed there by Republicans. !
Some of these laws are:
The eight-hour law. the FIRST OF its
kind In this country. since Intended to
include employees on public works; pro.
hibition Of importation OF contract la.
borers restriction OF immigration ex. |
clusion of Chinese; abolition Of pcon.
age; prohibition OF Involuntary servi.
tude OF kidnapped foreigners. added re- |
strictions upon importation OF cheap !
foreign labor; creation of Department
OF Labor. all votes against II being
Democratic; compulsory use Of auto |
matte couplers and car brakes for in |
terstntc trafic: protection Of seamcn /;
inspection Of steam vessels: Inspection
of coal mines; compulsory monthly re- |
ports Of accidents by common carriers;
provision for boards OF arbitration /:
provision for incorporation Of national
trnde unions: child labor law for Dis
trict Of Columbia ; appropriation to In
vestigAte working conditions Of tele-
phone and telegraph employs whose
c0mpAnies DO interstate buslness; pro
vtaion 70 c~ompensate lab0rers injured
q GOvornneut work This - the rec
~ ~ the Ropuallcop Iarty a fsderal
Iabes ~ieslnIstten and ssainnt TIE ions