The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-17
President in Chicago Speech De.
plOres Laws Delays.
Would Have National Commits
sion to Consider Reforms.
HIS TALKS ON UNION.
Would Himself Be a Union
Labor Man.
COngratuIates Laboring Men on
Opposition to Socialism.


Chicago, Sept. 17.-Speaking with
great earnestness to a mass meeting in
Orchestra hall last night President Taft
declared that no question before the
american people today is more import
ant than the improvement of the ad-
ministration of Justice and announced
his intention OF recommending to con-
gress the appointment of a commission
| to take up the question of the laws
delay in the federal courts. The presi-
dent said he hoped that the report of
this commission when rendered, would
serve as a guide to the states of the
Union, in effecting remedial legislation.
The president received an uproarous
greeting when he reached Orchestra
hall last night to make the only set
speech of his stay in Chicago.
Mr.. Taft devoted the entire first part
Of his speech to the subject of labor
and said he intended to recommend to
congress in his first message legislation
to carry out the platform prom Sc and
campaign pledges as to injunctions-that
I o injunction or restraining order should
be issued without notice except wnere
irreparable injury would result from de-
lay, in which case q speedy hearing
should be granted.
The president declared anew his be-
lief in organized labor and congratula-
ted the leaders of the movement that
'fThey have set their faces like flint
against the doctrines of socialism,
Taking up next the subject of the
courts, the president asserted with
an earnest emphasis that the admin
istration of criminal law today Is q
cisgrace to American civilization.
ashamed of the fact.as Americans might
well be- he declared that the poor man
the rich litigant and said it was his
purpose to do what he could to place
the poor man on more equal footing
The president frequently was inter
rupted with cheers.
President Taft's Speech.
President Taft spoke at Orchestra
hall as follows:
MY Fellow Citizens of Chicago:-It
is just about year ago tonight that
/ made a speech in this hall TO some
/ 500 members of the railroad labor or
ganizations in which 1 attempted to
convince them that there was nothing
in my decisions as a circuit judge in
labor Injunction cases which ought to
make .he,n vote against me for the
presidency. You will remember perhaps
that the head of the Federation of La
Dor, who had declared for my oppon-
ert was anxious to carry the whole
urion labor vote against me and,
the ground for his action was my de-
cisions as a judge, 1. was put under the
bur den which think other candi-
date for the presidency ever had to
bear of explainirg and defending in a
political contest the decisions which
ad 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 of the
labor vote. which had heretofore been
evenly divided between the Republicans
and the Democrats. The result showed
that this assumption was incorrect and
that labor men-union labor as well as
nonunion labor men-thought for them
selves, and declined to be delivered as
%<@ aor~fxy a nth
I'm the discussions 1 asserted that
was as much interested as anyone in
maintaining the cause labor, when Ia
Dor, organized or unorganized. by
proper methods sought to better its
condition by legislation or otherwise.
said that I expected to recommend to
congress, if I were elected, that inter
state railroads be required to adop any
additional safety appliances. I also
said that favored the adoption of leg
islation looking to a proper definition or
the cases in which preliminary inJunc-
tions might issue without notice and
defining the procedure in such matters.
stand on Injunction Legislation.
Now that the election has come and
gone I want to take this opportunity
of saying that have not forgotten my
own promises or those of the platform
and / propose in the next session OF
congress to recommend the legislation
on the subject of injunction which was
promised in the Republican platform
and to see whether by such legislation
it is not possible to avoid even a few
cases of abuses that can be cited
against the federal courts in the exer-
else of their jurisdiction. know there
is an element among employers of labor
and investors of capital which is ut
terly opposed to the organization of la
bor / cannot sympathize with this ele-
ment in the slightest degree. / think 1t
is a wise course for labofers to unite 10
defend their interests. 1t is a wlse
course for them to provide a fund by
which, should occasion arise and
strikes lockouts follow those VINO
lose their. places may be supported
ties. think the employer who declines
to deal with organized labor and rec
ognize it as a proper element in the
settlement of wage controversies is be-
hind the times. There is not the
slightest doubt that If labor had -
very much lower. There Is a higher
standard of living among American Ia
borers than in a any country in tie
world and, while there have doubtless
been a good many other reasons for
this certainly the effect of the rate Of
wages, making such a standard of liv-
ing possible. Nothing have said, or
shall say should be construed into an
attitude of criticism against, or u1
friendly, to the workingmen who. for
any reason. do not Join unions Their
right to labor for such wages as they
choose to accept is sound and any law
less. invasion of that right cannot be too
severely condemned
Would Be Union Man.
"All advantages of trades unionIsm.
great as they are, can not weigh n
feather in the scale against the right ~
any man lawfully seeking employment
to work for whom and at what price ne