New-York tribune., 1920-09-17
BY William Howard Taft

The so-ealled independents, who, as
suming the part of judicial inquiry
into issues and candidates, usually end
by voting the Democratic ticket, have
framed a character for Governor Cox
which Ohioans are not able to Identify.
They attack Senator Harding as a man
OF no convictions, and contrast Gov
ernor Cox as a fearless statesman, who
says what he thinks clearly and with
emphasis.
The comparison is laughably unjust.
We rarely have had shrewder politi-
cal opportunist than the Democratic
candidate. He is now deliberately try
ing to win the votes Of labor men by
charging, without the slightest evil
denee, that Mr.. Harding has been
bought by contributions Of great CAPT
talists to his campaign fund and will
ct their behest use the army to ter
rorize labor and force from it unjust
concessions to capital.
The President has no power to use
the army in industrial disturbances in
state in time Of peace unless he is
called upon by the Legislature or Gov
ernor Of g state for aid in suppressine
disorder too great for the state to deal
with, or unless the l;swless violence is
obstructing Federal function, like the
mails. or something pecu. rly within
a Federal jurisdiction, like interstate
commerce. When has a President ever
used the troops for such purpose un-
justly?
When Troops Were Used
We have had instances Of the use
of Federal troops in Colorado, in Idaho
at the Ceur d'Alene, and most con-
spicuousAJ in the Debs rebellion at
Chicago, and recently at Gary, in In
diana. That they were needed in these
cases properly to preserve law and
>rder every one admitted but the law
breaking strikers, Does Mr.. Cox wish
it to be understood that lawless labor
agitators can count on him, if elected
President, to refuse to do his consti-
tutional and statutory duty to send
to ignore the rights Of the public to
protection from riot and destruction
of life and p:Rperty, which is never
confined to the parties to the original
controversy?
Does he wish it to be thought that,
unlike Grover Cleveland. he would have
allowed the mails to be blocked and
the flow Of interstate commerce to be
stopped by Debs and his followers
rather than send bayonets to suppress
these lawless misrepresentation Of
labor?
Yet his wild charges against Senator
Harding on thsi head necessarily con-
tain the implication that when labor
leaders resort to violence when he is
President they need not fear his use
OF the United States troops to suppress
it. Governor Cox's record as Governor
control of the local authorities has
been one of shifting responsibility TO
the mayors and charging them with
derelicton of duty in not using local
police.
Attacked National Guard
When Mr.. Cox was first nominated
supporter was Herbert S. Bigelow, Of
Cine cinnati, an extreme paeifst, So
cialist and a Democrat VINO was the
president of the Constitutional Con-
vention. Mr.. Cox and Mr.. Bigelow
stumped the state together in the
gubernatorial campaign, and were en-
Enthusiastically promoting in unison the
progressively radical doctrines which
were fashionable in those days.
Governor Cox attacked the National
Guard in his first annual message and
Mr.. Bigelow, who was a member of
the Legislature, instituted an investi-
& great flourish of trumpets, echoed by
the yellow press. The charges were
not sustained and the attack failed,
but the prejudice against the militia
had been enhanced. Governor Cox's
indisposition to maintain law and ora
der by use Of the militia is well
known to local labor leaders and ex-
plains his popularity with them. 1t is
one of the reasons why MIR. Gompers
and Mr.. Morrison favor him against
Mr.. Harding.
His attitude necessarily makes law
less VIC lence more eHestive
means of winning industrial dis
putes. The opposition OF labor
leaders to the militia is Of a
riece with that against state con-
and Pennsylvania. 1t is the basis Of
the labor protest against the use of
the National Guard to preserve order
under Governor Coolidge's direction in
Boston after the police strike.
Called Dangerous Doctrine
Neither policemen nor troops are
summoned, or ever have been sum-
moned, in this country to compel labor
to consent to or concede any adjust
ment of its interests with capital. Gov
ernor Cox knows this as we'll as any
body. 1t is chiefly in Bolshevik Rus
STA where troops are used for this
purpose.
What, then, is the effect of his words
as construed to labor? 1t is that labor
ought to have & certain immunity from
restraint in the use Of lawless violence
to force employers into yielding to its
demands and that troops ought not to
be summoned, even though in the in
terest Of the public such violence can
be stopped or avoided only by their
presence This is dangerous doctrine
and many present supporters Of Gov
ernor Cox will not relish it.
In marked contrast to this we have
Senator Hardings just APTITUDE toward
labor and capital. He's favors trade
unions and collective bargaining, but
he insists that the equality of1power
and dealing which organization rightly
gives to labor shall not be enlarged
into tvrannical domination of the