Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-08
W. BRYANS GREAT LABOR DAY SPEECH DELIVERED IN CHICAGO

publican and democratic conventions.
Mr.. Taft, in his notification speech, OBJ
jects to the language. He charges that
the anti-injunction plank was loosely
drawn" and framed for the especial
purpose of rendering it susceptible to !,
one Interpretation by one set of men, '
and Numerically opposite interpre-
tation by another" As Mr.. Taft has
had long experience on the bench, and
is therefore skilled in the interpreta-
ton of language, ask him to give us,
if he can, two opposite interpretations
of the language. The plank demands
that ''all parties to all judicial pro-
ceedings shall be treated with rigid
impartiality." Surely he cannot find
two interpretations to the phrase
rigid impartiality."
Speaking of industrial disputes, the
platform declares that "injunctions
shall not be issued III any cases i'll
which injunctions would not issue il
no industrial dispute were involved"
How can that language be miscon-
strued or misinterpreted? If words
mean anything. that plank means that
an industrial dispute shall not, in it
| self, be regarded as sufficient cause
| for an injunction. If an lnjun is
sues in an industrial dispute, it must
be based upon acts which would JUS
| tify an injunction if there were no
industrial dispute involved. There is
nothing ambiguous about it; there is
nothing that can be misconstrued or
misinterpreted, even by one desiring
| to find a double meaning. Why do
the republican leaders attempt to read
ambiguity into those words? Simply
| because they cannot meet the propo
sition presented. Even Mr.. Taft at
tempts to avoid the issue by saying
that mo one has ever maintained that
the fact that dispute was industrial
gave any basis for the issuing of an
injunction in reference thereto" If ii
is true that no one now maintains that
then why find fault with our platform
on that subject? If nobody opposes
our position. we ought to lave no diff
ficulty in securing the passage of i
law in harmony with this plank.
Taft Takes Issue.
Upon the jury question Mr.. Taft
y clearly takes issue with us. He is
thoroughly aroused by what he regards
as a menace to the courts. Here is
his lament:
Never in the history of the country
has there been such an nsidious at
tack upon the judicial system as tbs
proposal to interject a jury trial be
tween all orders of the court made
after full hearing and the enforcement
of such orders"
This would come under the head o
Important. if true" But the fact is
our platform specifically declares tha
we favor measure which passed
the United States senate in 1896, anC
which republican congress has eve
since refused to enact" etc, provid
ing for trial by jury in cases of in
direct contempt. Are not the proceed
ings of the United States senate
part of the history of the country
This measure passed the Unite;
States senate more than II years ago
and the vote upon it was 50 nearI,
unanimous that no roll call was de
manded. The bill was not smugglet
through without discussion. 1t wa
amended in open senate and the mem
bers of the senate had ample oppor
tunity to understand it. 1t would
have passed congress and become ;
law long ago but for the fact that
few large corporate employers of labo
have kept lobby i'll Washington eve
; since, and have been able TO coerct
congress into ignoring the laborins
mems plea
mir. Taft is not an unbiased judg,
where the jury system is under con
sideration. He is not only known "a
the father of government by injunc
ton. but he is prejudiced against tn,
jury system. Every man is uncon
: sciously Influenced by his environment
and Mr.. Taft's long service upon tn,
bench has led him TO underrate thu