The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-10-15
ROOSEvELT'S SPEECH AT WILKES BARRE

sure on capital, but also harms socic-
~ in direct or Indirect manner. as is
the case with the present strike. The
conduct OF the labor union In the pres
cnt case must DO considered rs anti
patriotic and criminal, and consti-
tutCs without doubt an attack on tho
public peace In view Of tho fore
going have dOcrCcd the following
Rs an addition to tho existing code;
Besides the dsturhers OF the public
peace, punishable by death as here
toforc described, tho death penalty
will also be imposed on the follow
ing: Those who may incito the sus-
pension OF work in factories OF en-
tcrpriscs destined to public service.
or who preside over meetings in which
Il Is proposed to discuss or approve
such strike. those who may defend
| or sustain the same. or who assist IN
these meetings, aud those who en-
doavor to make the strike effective
upon being declared. and those who
by threats ur force prevent others from
rendering their services TO tho COM
lpaniCs or enterprises against which tho
strike Ia declared" In short words.
this decree is that inasmuCh ns MIR.
CRrran3a disnpprovCs of the strike
ordered by certain labor organi2a-
tIon. anyone who strikes, or who At
tends strikers meeting, or who gives
assistance or mid tu The strikers, shall
suffer the death pcnalty-thRt is. shall
he tried by drumhead courtmnrtial
and Immediately shot. This decree
was issued on August |, last Yet Mr.
Gompcrs asks tho support of the Ia
boring men Of tho United States for
Mr.. Wilson on the ground that he Is
sponsor OF the military tyraut who is-
sued the decree II Is now announced
in tho press that MIR. Gompers IL ne
gotIatng with Mir. Carranza IN order
10 get him to withdraw the decree. II
so II will only be until after election.
But let all American citizens think
deeply before they retain in power
an administration which tOlcrntes
such an international alliance as that
between Mcssrs. Wilson. GompCrs and
Carranza, and such management OF It's
affairs as Mir. GOmpcrs IL carrying
on with the cNuntenancc and IN tho
interest, OF Mir. Wilson.
National Welfare.
The welfare of the laboring man and
the welfare OF the farmer taken to-
gether represent tho foundation OF tho
national welfare. have always CON
scinntiously cndeavnrcd to do every
thing in my power for the wageworker
who worked with his hands and Tor
the farmer. | Will do everything that
in mo lies for their permanent good.
except anything that is wrong, ana
that ! will do for no man. SPEAK
out or my deepest convictions and MS
cOnscicntiously as 1t In In my power TO
speak when ! say to you that believe
MIR. Wilson'a action in connection with
the Adamson bill is deeply prejudicial
to the real and permanent interests
OF the laboring man. ! say to you with
deepest conviction that II you your
self will look back you will find thal
on the average the wageworker has
prospered moro whom this country has
been under n protective tarin thun
when the protective turin has been
so low MS not to give protection to our
immense and varied Industries and
above all, to the men working IN those
industries AS you know, | have nj
ways stood for the tariif. only TO theI
degree in which the benefit was rea-
sonably shared between the men I'M
the front Office and the mon who re-
celye the pay envelopes stand for
TINT division now. But there must bel
something to divide. or nobody viii
get anything.
Recalls Days before War.
/ ask you to look back only two
short years. Mr. Wilson was inau-
gurated MS president three years ago
last spring. He and his party immo-
tliately passed low tariff law. Under
II government receipts fell on sol
that there was a great deficit
which had to be met by special tax.
This was later called war tax. but
II was not due to the war at all; thei
decrease in receipts was prior to the
war, II was a deficiency tax. pure and
simple. AS some one pointed out at
the time, Canada had war with no
tax whereas we had tax with mol
war. It was purely deficiency tax:
During the first eighteen months OF
this administration, the national bust
ness went to pieces, the sidingB onl
the railroads we're damned with emp
ty cars, and the number OF unem-
ployed in every great industry grew
10 appalling dimensions. speak
hero Of what l personally know; for
less than two years ago had tol
take an active part in New York In
measure to relieve the unemployed.
! then saw municipal lodging houses
crowded to overlooking with people de-
sirous of working, who could not get
any work, and who did not have
enough money to pay for the poorest
lodging or the cheapest meals. The