New-York tribune., 1910-06-24
TFrom The Tribune Burear.1

Washington, June q.
PRESIDENT AND LABOR.-When 1t
was seen that a conflict between the Sem
ate and the House over the labor amend
ment which Representative Hughes had
drafted on the sundry civil bin was inev-
liable there were some of the President S
friends and admirers who earnestly hoped
he would not be compelled to take STAND
on the question. but that the Senate WOULD
prove strong enough and determined enough
to effect the elimination of the ob1ectioh-
able provision without his assistance. rms
hope was expressed to the President, but
1: did not appeal 10 him. He could see no
reason why he should not take a decided
stand against legislation that was bad. The
Hughes provision was a pernicious piece
of class legislation, proposed, probably, to
eubarrass the Republicans. according to
his view, and surely it was the duty OF
the President TO oppose bad legislation
Moreover, as leader of the party, was it
not his duty and his privilege to shoulder
the responsibility for killing Improper legis-
lation? Surely he could better afford to
incur any displeasure such action might
entail than members of the House a
leader who did not stand ready 10 face
danger with more courage than his follow
ers was poor leader, in his estimation.
Therefore the President took the bull by
the horns. The protest Of the railroad en-
gineers and trainmen, for whom he enter
tains the highest regard and respect, af-
forded him the opportunity OF making clear
his position, and he grasped ii eagerly
From the point of view Of the politician
the course Of the President was at least
reckless. From the point OF view of the
President IT was the perfectly natural and
proper thing to do. And it is by no means
certain that the course of the President was
not the wiser. The American people love
brave man. They respect the man who
has the courage of his convictions. even
when those convictions differ sadly from
their own The members of the labor or
ganizations who have most at stake in
the amendment which has been rejected are
a more than ordinarily manly set Of fell
lows, as was shown by the way in which
they received the frank statements of his
position which Mr. Taft made during his
campaign for the Presidency. There is no
Disgusting the fact that the politicians were
seriously startled when they learned of the
Presidents purpose this morning, but the
more they thought It over the more they
became convinced of his wisdom, and there
manliness of his action will appeal more
strongly in his favor than any opposition
it may engender.
DEMOCRATIC CONSISTENCY.-TheR Re-
publicans in Congress are obtaining
good deal Of amusement from the Demo-
cratic platform adopted in Ohio yesterday
under the leadership of that new peerless
leader, Governor Judson Harmon. With
the oratorical equivalents of loud cries and
lamenta tons over the reckless extraVa-
gance of the Republican party, the Buck
eye Democrats proceeded to adopt q plank
demanding in ringing tones retrenchment
and economy in the expenditures OF the Re-
public, and then promptly followed up their
declaration with a plank pledging the
Democratic party TO provide 81 day pen
sions for all veterans. Some conception or
the extent to which this would make for
economy may be gained from the fact that
there are now on the pension rolls approx
mately six hundred thousand veterans, eX-
elusive of those who receive pensions be-
cause of the fact that they are widows or
or were dependent on veterans. AT con-
servative estimate the enactment OF the
pledge of the Ohio Democrats into law
would mean an increase OF pension eX-
penses of the government by at least Sl50-
oO0 600 year. That would at least double
the present expenditures for pensions, but
q little matter of that kind is OF no moment
to Democrats out of office, although were
the pledge redeemed it might be difficult
TO make any remarkable showing of econ
omy. And yet as Governor Harmon mas
been named for the Presidency by the ONO
Democrats in the same convention that
adopted this plank. is il not reasonable to
assume. ask the Republicans in Washing
ton. that he would consider himself bound
by the 81 a day pension plank7
DEMOCRATIC DESPERATION. - Some
idea of the desperation to which the Dem
ocrats are driven for campaign issue
NAV be formed by the fact that they are
taking the casual remark Of Senator AID
rich that were he to undertake the con-
61ct of the government and permitted 'o
run il as he would a private business ne
lo,,,d effect saving of $500, 100000 year,
as text on which to base charges of he