The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-09-17
STRONG DEFENSE OF LABOR
IS DELIVERED BY PRESIDENT.
Right to Organize in Lawful Manner Is Made
Feature of Address by Taft in Chicago
IMPROVEMENTS IN ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAW
System Now in Vogue in Courts Of Country Is Condemned
on Many Counts and Changes Are Suggested,
With Especial Reference to lnjunc
tion---A Busy Day.

'uSy lay.
some 1.sc0 members of the railroad
labor organizations in which . at
tempted to convince them that there
was nothing in my decisions as a
circuit judge in labor injunction cases
which ought to make them vote
against me for the presidency 1t
was criticai time i'm the campaign.
1t was critical question, and as
review that whole controversy there
was hardly another speech in my cam
paign ot greater Importance to me
than that one: that in view of the
result of the election I look back upon
1t now With especial interest.
You will remember perhaps that
the head of the federation OF labor,
who had declared for my opponent,
was anxious to carry the whole union
labor vote against me and as the
ground for his action was my decis-
ions as a judge, / was put under the
burden which / think no other candi
date for the presidency ever had to
bear. of explaining and defending in a
politica. contest the decisions when
had made as a judge upon the bench.
1t was assumed by many. who thought
themselves familiar with the situation
that / would lose a large part or the
labor vote which had before been
evenly divided between the republicans
and the democrats.
Didn't Lose Votes.
,r;,, ,.e,,tt s,,o,,,a th.t Ali. ,r.,,,,.,.
ton was incorrest and that labor men
union labor. as well as nonunion
labor men-thought for themselves,
voted according tn their own Judgment
and declined to be delivered as
body to one party or the other. On
the whole, l do not think I suffered
materially from the loss of labor
votes. In the discussions / asserted
that / was as much interested as any
one In maintaining the cause of labor.
when labor organized, by proper meth
ods sought to better IS condition by
legislation or otherwise. / said ex-
pected to recommend to congress, If
were elected, that interstate rail-
roads he required to adopt any adj
aitional devices found useful for The
purpose of saving from loss of life
limb employees engaged in the dam
gerous business of railroading. l also
said | favored the adoption of legis-
iation looking to ii proper definition
of the cases In which. preliminary in
functions might issue without notice
and defining the procedure In such
matters.
Has Not Forgotten.
Now that election has come and
gone, l want to take this opportunity
of saying that | have not forgotten
my own promises or those of the plat
form, and l propose In the next ses-
sion of congress to recommend the
legislation on the subject OF injunc-
tion which was promised in the re-
publican platform and to see whether
by such legislation II is not possible
to avoid even few cases of abuses
that can be cited against the federal
courts in the cases tried In their
jurisdiction. / do not think that
unionism was greatly aid ID D. the at
tempt to drag all organized labor into
politics and to induce 1t TO vote one
way, but that does not prevent my
placing proper estimate upon the
immense good for labor I'm general
which its organization and its efforts
to secure higher wages have ac-
complished
I know there is an element among
employers and investors which is ut
terly opposed to the organization of
labor. | cannot sympathize with this
element in the slightest degree. 1
think ii is wise course for laborers
to unite to defend their interests. 1t
is wise course for them to provide
n fund which. should occasion arise
and strikes or lockouts follow, those
who lose their places may be sup
ported pending an adjustment of the
difficulties. l think the employer
who declines to deal with organized
labor and to recognize 1t as a proper
element in the settlement of wage
controversies is behind the times.
There is not the slightest doubt that
ii labor had remained unorganized
wages would be very much lower. 1t
is true that in the end they would
probably be fixed by the Law of sup
ply and demand. but generally before
this law manifests itself there is a
period in which labor. Ii organized and
acting together. can compel the en-
ployer promptly to recognize the
change of conditions and advance
wages To meet a rising market and an
Increase in necessities. There is a
higher standard of living among
American laborers than in any coun-
try in the world and while there
doubtless have been pnad many
other reasons for this. certainly the
effect of the organization of labor has
been To maintain steady and high
rate Of wages making such a standard
Of living possible.
Nothing have I said or shall say
should he construed into an attitude OF
criticism against. or unfriendiy 20 the
working man who for any reason do
not join unions. Their right to labor