Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-10-30
BACK At
PRESIDENT
UNION TRAINMAN ANSWERS
THE GRACE LETTER.
Says Roosevelt Was Unfair De-
ciares Taft While Judge Cut
Wages OF the Railway Emlloyes
Calls oNrr'srorCeneY 9s',nar-
kable.
l<able.


en- a vast amount OF Information
regarding Judge Taft's labor rec
ord in a lettor from II. r. Fuller.
national legislative represent alive
OF the Brotherhood OF Locomotive
Engineers. FIremen and Engine
men, and Trainmen.
The letter is in reality organic
ed labor's reply to Pres dent Roose-
welt. who found an excuse TO- adj
dressing and publishing letter to
L. III. Grace, the Binghamton On.
f) railway employe. In order to
place Mr.. Tat before labor in n
favorable light. In his letter TO the
President, Mr.. Fuller says that Mr..
Roosevelt went out OF h S way to
misrepresent Mr.. Taft's labor rec
ident, in part, as follows:
Il have read W tn interest the
remarkable correspondence between
p. III. Grace, financier OF Lodge No.
36, Brotherhood OF Railway Train
men, and yourself, which appeared
in The public press Monday. the
| same being an answer TO a letter
from Mr.. Grace to you. in which, in
behalf OF himsel; and his associate
employees. he sought your advice as
to how they could best serve the r
interests in this campaign.
NOVEL METHODS USED.
Il say remarkable because OF
the novel method and source by
and from which MIR. Grace sought
information and advice regarding
the attitude OF Mr.. Taft toward the
railroad employees of the country. |
am at loss to understand why Mr.
Grace should seek advice and in
formation regard ng Judge Taft's
attitude toward the railroad en-
ployes of the country from the very
one whose influence ana admins
tration were used to bring about
mis- nomination, and is now being
used TO secure his elect on, when
Mr.. Taft's labor decisions have been
| discussed in the lodge rom and
| printed and commented upon in he
magazines OF the various organiza-
lions of labor, including those OF
| the Brotherhood of Railway Ira n
men, of which Mr.. Grace, and my
self are members.
These publications were all ac-
cessible and would have been furn-
ished Mr.. Grace ythe proper Off
cerE OF the brotherhood had he
| applied for them, as DO other mem
| bers Of the organization. Had he
done so, he would have been given
the complete labor record of Mr..
Taft rather than a partial one,
and both he and his fellow-employ-
| es throughout the country who
read your reply would be in pos
session OF the facts, rather than be-
ing in the position of having been
misled by the President OF the
United States
CONSPICUOUS BY ABSENCE.
'fThe most impJrtant part of
Mr.. Taft's labor record is conspicu-
Gus by its absence from your reply,
and it is to supply this deficiency
that | write this letter"
Mr.. Fuller then goes into Mr..
| Tait's record as a Federal Judge /;
showing hat he cut the wages OF
railway employees to 81 day in
1896 This was in the case u
Thomas VS. The Cine matt, New
Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway.
After quot ng Judge Taft's words
from the Federal Reporter, In which
he said Of the railway men, III
they were not content with the
wages, they are not compelled TO
accept them" Mr.. Fuller thus ad-
dresses President Roosevelt:
"Mr. Tafts own words in this de-
cislon show that at the beginning
ana before he employs had their
day i'm court, the cOurt approved
VI AZ itdSe ulu hOA OppObt TIC to
duct on.
why should he have taken the
judgement OF the receivers i'm pref
erence TO that Of the employees
Why should the employees be com
PEELED to make a strong showing?
What was so sacred about the r.
nances Of these two railroad com
panies and the bonds OF the city
OF Cincinnati thai they should be
placed above wages and humanity,
when, according to Judge TaUs
own decis on, other roads in that
vicinity we're paying higher wages
than was the receiver? Where ID
the justice In compelling employees
to work overtime wi, hout compen-
satIon?
II ask you TO contrast Judge
1aft's opinion in this case with the
decisions Of no less than FIVE other
Federal judges in similar cases dur.
ng the same year, some OF them
being judges OF eminence and some
occupying higher positions on he
bench than ala Mr.. Taft"