The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-04
Presidents Attack on Labor
Leaders
Attitude Of Labor, Leader Declares Of
oosevelt--Criticise Message of
Chief Executive as Descending
to villifcation.

Washington, Jan. Ain an editorial
in the January issue Of the American
Federationist Samuel Gompers refers to
the alleged abuse of the injunction pow
ers by the courts, points TO the indirse-
ment Of his attitude by the Denver con-
ycntion of the American Federation,
denies ever having abused judges or the
courts and refers in vigorous fashion
to MIR. Roosevelt. Mr.. Gonipers says;
"For this issue we will content our
selves with calling attention to the
report which the president submitted
to the Denver convention, the consid-
Grafton given it BY the appropriate
committee and the action taken by the
convention.
Recognising the general interest felt
in the subjects discussed in the presi-
dents report, we publish herewith the
most important features of the deliber-
ations OF the convention on this report.
The convention devoted the greater
part Of two days to this discussion, and
each subject was considered and dis
posed Of separately
"The men and women Of organized
labor, thinkers, and friends in all walks
of life, win read with interest the ven
dict of the highest tribunal in the Ann
erican labor movement on the presi-
dents action in the last year.
The vicious and unwsrranted at
tacks from the exaited--and others not
so exalted---the attempt to direct, con-
troll and subordinate the labor move
inent OF the United States other than
BY the men of labor themselves, has
been rebukcd by the Denver convention
This convention where nearly 400 dele
gttes assembled. elected by their cflIow
workers to represent the great rank
and file of the labor movement of our
country, by practically unanimous SEN
timent, vnice and vote emphatically re.
iterated its determination 10 cner-
peticallv continue in the work of abol-
ighing the wrongs and injustices which
lnbor has had to bear, and to attain
the rights and the freedom to which
the workers are justly entitled.
I'm view of the utterances of Presi-
dent Roosevelt during the recent CAM
paign, all looked forward with keen
II terest TO what he would say in his
recent annual message to Congress. He
disported himself as was anticipated.
We wish to concern ourselves hare
particularly with what Till press char
acfhrizes al An Attack on Labor Lead
ers,' III the presidents message. IT does
rot call for much discernmAnt to infer
TO whom the president directs his abuse
1t is doubtful that any president of the
United States in an official message to
Congress ever before descended to such
misrepresentation and utilization of
individual citizens as Mr.. Roosevelt has
ii his annual message.
president Roosevelt absolutely mis-
represents the attitude of certain
leaders Of organized labor In his sweep
ing deniinciation. HE does this know
ingly ard wilfnlly. because he has from
tine To time during the last seven
years conferred with the certain and
nearly all the well known officers and
otn8r Representatives Of labor unions,
end has had ample opportunity to know
how fair and just is their contention
against the abuse of the injunction
power BY the courts and how different
their attitude from what he charges it
to be. Mr.. Roosevelt cannot quote, for
lie cannot find any violent and sweep
ing attack upon the entire judiciary Of
Ike country, which he charges the men
of labor with making.
"The fact ii that no representative
OF labor made any attack upon any In
diyidual Judge or the judiciary as such.
We leave such fulminations to Mr..
Roosevelt. We need no no further
than his present message to discover
attacks upon the Judiciary far more
sweeping and abusive than anything
we have ever thought, much less utter
cd. We have had occasion befors to
point out that in previous messages he
did not hesitate to attack Judges whose
decisions displeased him -he, as usual,
constituting himself the Judge OF
whether or not his attack was justified.
"Iabor's representatives have at all
times attacked the principle under
which unjust decisions have been is
sued and never the Judges who made
tEese decisions We refer to all we
lave ever said about Justice Gould in
connection with the Van Qeave Bucks
Stove & Range company's injunction
all that we have said about the SUI
preme court in connection with the
hanbury Hatters' decision, which class
cd labor unions with trusts under the
Sherman anti trust law We refer 70
we said Of President elect
Taft In connection with his history as
d Judge. when issuing inmnctions. We
have never used personal abuse as our
weapon"