The Dickinson press., 1909-01-02
Brief but Comprehensive
Review Of the Important
Events and Tendencies
IL the Year Past For
Busy Readers Who Want
TO Be Well Informed.
-.L
BY EDWIN S. POTTER,
Editor Universal. News Analysis.
--S-e.rS
Despite the Depression.
Republicans Retain Control.

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-
liable conclusion forces itself on the
open mind. It is that a majority of
the people became convinced in one
way or another that 1t is "better to
bear the evils that they have than to
fly to others that they know not of"
and to give the trust regulating poll
.cfes Of President Roosevelt a longer
n fairer trial In the hands of his
;~;favorite adviser, William Howard
Taft. How the people became so
minded Is a question to which no IN
sWer can he found to suit all kinds of
partisans. The salient facts can, how
ever, be recounted briefly and with
historical impartialtty.
On Jan. 81 was issued the chaiisnge
OF the dominant personality and Off
cial Of the party In power which was
80 determine In many ways the plans
of Battle Of the different parties for
the captnfe 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.
,gfsed the president and seated all the
;Taft.contestants. The thoroughness Of
this operation caused it to be described
40 the administration steam roller"
of which Frank H. Hitchcock wal 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 n 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
ines Of the Gompers cabinet" before
the platform committee the plank final
ly adopted at Chicago was not to their
liking. Van Cleaves Cannon, Crane
and other Republican leaders insisted
upon unfolding 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 81.
Taft of Ohio was nominated for presi-
dent on the first ballot and James s.
Sherman of New York for vice presi-
q On July Z 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 Will
liam ]. Bryan Of Nebraska. The big
gathering broke all records for continu-
ous cheering when the blind Oklahoma
senator. Gore, eulogized the Nebraskan,
the demonstration lasting eighty-sevep
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 a present
and gave his assent to the plank finally
agreed upon. While asserting that the
courts of justice are the bulwark Of
,our liberty" 1t demanded a modif1ca-
ton Of the injunction law SO as to pro-
vide for 9 trial by jury in cases Of In
direct contempt. It declared against
treating labor organizations as illegal
combinations in 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. it1would reject
all corporate gifts, would limit lndiyid.
ual donations to $40, 900 andi..atwould;T
publish on Oct: 10 and daily thereafter
ssthe names Of givers Of 800 and up
ward. The final total published. after.
election was $$86220,G44 from $4,000 con-
tributors. Although the Republican
convention had rejected a publicity
plank, Taftsand his managers lec;deA
to work under the New York law and
publish names and amounts Of contrib
utors after the election. Their funds
totaled 81, G55, 518.
FrankaH. 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 p. Mack, the Buffalo news-
paper proprietor, as their national
chairman and Governor Haskell Of Ok
1ahoma as holder of the purse. When
Treasurer Haskell resigned. his place