La Junta tribune., 1909-01-16
A Brief but Comprehensive
Review Of tie Important
Events and Tendencies
Of the Year Past For
Busy Readers Who Want
to Be Well Informed.
by EDWIN 5. POTTER.
'ditor Universal News Analysis.
Dessits the Depression.
Republicans Retain Control


Looking now calmly and dispassion-
atsly back across the field Of conflict
ing interests and balancing forces
which shaped the American presiden-
tiai campaign Of 1903, one incontest-
able conclusion forces itself on the
open mind. II II that majority Of
the people became convinced In one
way or another that 1t Is better to
bear the evils that they have than to
dy to others that they know not or
and to give the trust regulating poll
cies of President Roosevelt a longer
and fairer trial In the hands OF his
favorite adviser, william Howard
Taft. How the people became so
minded Il . question to which no an.
swer can be found to suit all kinds of
partisans. The salient facts can. how
ever. be recounted briefly and with
historical impartiality.
On Jan. 81 was issued the challenge
of the dominant personality and off,
cial Of the party In power which was
to determine In many ways the plans
OF battle Of the different parties for
the capture of the American electorate
namely. the message OF President
Roosevelt to congress advocating his
program Of radical legislation.
On June 10 at Chicago the Republic.
ans got together. They cheered forty
minutes when Chairman Lodge eulo.
igized the president and seated all the
TAFT contestants. The thoroughness Of
this operation caused 1t to be described
ns the administration steam roller y
6f which Frank II. Hitchcock was the
eogineec The only nght WAS on the
court injunction plank. Samuel Com
pers. bead Of the A. y. Of L.. and other
leaders Of organised labor. confronted
with numerous court decisions unfa-
ivorable to their methods and facing
lower wages or lack OF work for many
workers. had decided to fight in the
open for the party whose labor plank
suited them best. Despite the warn
ings OF the Gompers cabinet" before
the platform committee the plank final-
ly adopted at Chicago was not to their
liking Van Cleave. Cannon. Crane
and other Republican lenders insisted
upon upholding the integrity Of the
courts. but asserting that the rules of
Injunction procedure be "more accu-
rately defined by statute" and that no
injunction should issue without due no
tice except where irreparable injury
would result from delay" William II.
Taft of Ohio was nominated for presi-
dent on the first ballot and James s.
Sherman Of New York for vice presi-
dent
On July at Denver the national con-
yention OF the Democratic party as
sembled with the knowledge that an
overwhelming ma jority of It's delegates
were pledged to the nomination of VIII
liam J. Bryan of Nebraska. The big
gathering broke all records for continu-
bus cheering when the blind Oklahoma
senator. Gore. eulogized the Nebraskan.
SflSe demonstration lasting eighty seven
minutes Bryan was nominated on the
Icst ballot. although the names Of
bhnson and Gray were presented.
John W. Kern Of Indiana. with the ap-
provai Of Bryan, was named for second
place.
/ As In the Republican convention. the
main contest had to do with the word
ing Of the injunction or labor plank of
the platform. Gompers was present
and gave his assent to the plank finally
hgreed upon. While asserting that the
scourts Of justice are the bulwark Of
bur liberty" II demanded a modifica-
tfon Of the Injunction law 20 as to pro-
vide for trial by jury In cases Of In
direct contempt. II declared against
treating labor organizations as illegal
combinations In restraint Of trade. ia
vored the eight hour day and promised
b general employer liability law.
| Bryan at once induced his executive
committee to say that 1t would reject
m corporate gifts. would limit individ-
ual donations to $4,000 and would
publish ON Oct. IS and daily thereafter
the names Of givers Of 500 and up
ward. The nnal total published after
election was @62O.844 from 1900 con-
tr1butors. Although the Republican
eonvention had rejected q publicity
bIahk. Taft and his managers decided
10 work under the New York law and
pubaish names and amounts Of contrib
utors sitter the election. Their funds
totaled $1.G55.51e.
| Tfank b. Hitchcock. who had enEi-
nSsred tie Taft canvass. was chosen
khairman OF ths Republican national
eonmittes. and George r. sheldon was
Nlo41e trsasursr. The Democrats eSect-
q Norman =. Mack. the Buffalo news
lpee pfupr1etor, ~ their national
e-hjsman ana 0ov6fnor Hastsll of Oh
lahona = haslsr u tie pefse. Whsa
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