St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-01-06
1908 IN
HISTORY
A Brief but Comprehensive
Review Of the Important
Events and Tendencies
of the Year Past For.
Busy Readers Who Want
to b Well Informed.
By EDWIN S. POTTER.
Editor Universal News Analysis.
Despite the Depression.
Republicans Retain Control.

Looking now calmly and dispassion-
ately back across the field of conflict
Ing interests and balancing forces
which shaped the American presiden-
tial campaign of 1908, one incontest-
able conclusion forces itself on the
open mind. 1t Is that a majority Of
the people became convinced in one
way or another that it Is better to
bear the evils that they have than to
ny to others that they know not Of
and to give the trust regulating poll
cies OF President Roosevelt longer
and fairer trial in the hands of his
favorite adviser, William Howard
Taft. How the people became so
minded Is 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 16 at Chicago the Republic
ans got together. They cheered forty
minutes when Chairman Lodge eulo-
gized the president and seated all the
Taft contestants. The thoroughness of
this operation caused it to be described
as the administration steam roller"
of which Frank H. Hitchcock was the
engineer. The only fight was on the
court injunction plank. Samuel Com
pers, head Of the A. f. of L., and other
leaders Of organized labor, confronted
with numerous court decisions unfa-
vorable 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 leaders 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-
vention Of the Democratic party as
sembled with the knowledge that an
overwhelming majority of its delegates
were pledged to the nomination of VIII
liam J. Bryan of Nebraska The big
gathering broke all records for continu-
Gus cheering when the blind Oklahoma
senator, Gore eulogized the Nebraskan,
the demonstration lasting eighty-seven
minutes. Bryan was nominated on the
first ballot although the names of
Johnson and Gray were presented |
John W. Kern of Indiana, with the ap-
prevail 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 |
agreed upon. While asserting that the
courts of justice are the bulwark of
our liberty" it demanded modifica-
ton of the injunction law so as to pro
vide for a trial by jury in cases of in
direct contempt 1t declared against I
treating labor organizations as illegal
combinations III restraint of trade, IA
vored the eight hour day and promised
a general employers liability law.
Bryan at once induced his executive
committee to say that it would reject
all 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 final total published after
election was $620G44 from $4,000 con
tributors. Although the Republican
convention had rejected publicity 3
plank, Taft and his managers decided
to- work under the New York law and
publish names and amounts of contrib
utors after the election Their funds
totaled $1,G55.51S
Frank H. Hitchcock. who had engi
neered the Taft canvass, was chosen
chairman of the Republican national
committee, and George r. Sheldon was
made treasurer The Democrats elect
ed Norman e. Mack, the Buffalo news
paper proprietor, as their national
chairman and Governor Haskell of Ok
lahoma as holder Of the purse. When
Treasurer Haskell resigned, his place