Evening journal., 1909-03-25
ASSAILS TAFT'S
LABOR POLICY
GOmperS Says President Has
Departed From ROOSe.
VeIt Ideas
REVIEWS PRESIDENTS
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
By UnIted Press Leased specIal wlre.

BY United Press Leased Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, March Exchanging
that President Taft has departed from the
Roosevelt ideas, with regard to labor, and
that Roosovelti himself, ceased his attacks
upon malefactGrs Of great wealth" dur
ing the Taft campaign. in order to secure
the support of the business interests, for
the Republican candidate. Samuel Com
pers, president Of the American Fedora
tion OF Labor. attacks the labor policy Of
the present administration, In an editorial
in the April issue OF the American Fedor-
ationist, out to-day.
Gompers calls attention to an address
made by President Taft at Seattle. in 1907.
lefore he left for the Philippines IN which
he stated his views on the injunction.
There was no occasion for this utterance
OF the present President at that time, says
Compers, except TO catch the vote Of the
manufacturers. President Roosevelt had
criticized the trusts, and Taft wanted TO
serve notice t. the business interests. that
he would not follow all the Roosevelt pol
icies. according TO Gompers.
Judge Taft, while proclaiming that he
would follow the Roosevelt policies at
once took the opportunity" says the edi-
tor'al, Ito give the corporations. trusts
and employers hostile to labor a broad
hint as to where he might be found. What
better subject as an indication, that he
was a safe man than to declare against
laLor's contention for equality before tn,
law? In one breath, he would follow III,
Roosevelt policies; in the next. he would
IL elected President, use the influence o
that great office to prevent the looseninl
of the fetters placed upon labor by judicia
invasion of constitutional guarantees"
ffibpPresident,p piciesop shrdl shrdlu uul
Speaking Of Roosevelt, Gompers says:
In speeches. and messages to Congress
he recommended and urged Congress, b!
legislation, to abate the abuse OF the in
junction, and remedy the wrong. 1t is tru
that his specific recommendations wer
faulty and worse than ineffective II enact
eed into law. But his keen criticisms of tn
abuse Of Injunction by the courts wer
continually broadening. 1t is likely that
had he not been so deeply interested in tn
election Of Mr.. Taft as his successor, h
would in due time have agreed to labo
as 10 the remedy upon which it insists"
Gompers analyses the part OF Taft's IN
augural address that deals With the sher
man antitrust law, aud declares that Tat
wishes the law amended only in so far a
it Affects trusts.
He says that the difficulty with Taft II
that he is trying to be consistent with hii
labor decisions. while a Judge. when &
Judge has attained fame by rendering Z
decision or decree, new in character. anC
far-reaching in it's effects" says Com
pers. land particularly when it is quoted
as the best authority no matter how Il
invades the guaranteed rights and liber
ties OF the people, IL is almost tco mnef
to expect that such a judge shall subse
quently favor legislation rendering voiS
his decision and his standing as an 'au
thority.' A statesman, business man. Z
workman. a scientist-each and all OF then
may make mistake and correct it-s
judge never"