Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 150, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1910 — Taft Outlines Views On Labor Amendment. [ARTICLE]

Taft Outlines Views On Labor Amendment.

Washington, June 23.—The action of the house of representatives late today in receding from its labor amendment to the sundry civil bill, makes the successful termination of an allday fight by President Taft against \V&at he terms class legislation of an improper sort, and apparently removed tfie last real obstacle in the way of an adjournment of congress within the next few days. President Taft spent the entire day and bent every energy toward the defeet of the house amendment which proposed to exempt labor unions from the operation of the Sherman antitrust law. He threw his whole influence into the fight, sending for several scores of representatives and urging them to defeat the provision. Mr. Taft declared that if it cost him the support of every laboring man in the country he would not approve such a provision of law. The laboring man, he believed, asked only equality before the law and was entitled to no more. It was the president’s fight on this amendment to the big supply bill which caused rumors to spread today that there undoubtedly would be a delay in the adjournment of congress. Mr. Taft felt he had a longer fight before him than proved to be the case, and waa doubtful of the result until the vote was finally taken. When informed of the result he made no attempt to conceal his gratification. Incidently the president sent a long telegram tonight to the convention of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen meeting at St. Paul, in which he outlined his views on Ahe matter. The telegram was in response to a message of protest from the convention. For several days past the white bouse has been fairly bombarded with letters and telegrams from labor organizations in favor of the house amendment. 'The messages made public tonight were as follows: “St. Paul, June 22, 1910. “The President: Press reports of today indicate that' you favor using the people’s money to prosecute labor in their efforts to better conditions. The seven hundred and ninety-eight delegates attending the twelfth bi-en-nlal convention of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen at St. Paul instruct me to protest against this unjust policy. (Signed) “W. S. Carter, “President Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen.” “June 23, 1910. “W. S. Carter, President Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engine-

men, St. Paul, Minn.: “Your dispatch of June 22 received in which you say the press reports today indicate that I favor using the people’s money to prosecute labor, in their efforts to better conditions. And you protest against such a policy. I presume you refer to the proposition now before congress that money appropriated for the fiscal year nineteen eleven for enforcement of anti-trust laws and acts to regulate commerce shall in no part of it be expended in the prosecution of conspiracies in the nature of boycotts to increase wages, shorten hours or better the condition of labor. “The supreme court has decided that such a boycott is a violation of the Sherman anti-trust law and this proposal is an attempt to withhold the means of prosecuting that law when it is violated by a particular class thus to be made privileged. I am entirely opposed to such class legislation. If it were proposed to amend the language of the Sherman antitrust law itself so as somewhat to narrow its scope that would present a proper question for consideration, but so long as the present anti-trust law remains upon the statute books an attempt to modify its enforcement so as to render immune any particular class of citizens, rich or poor, employers or employes, is improper legislation and in my judgment ought to be opposed by your brotherhood. “The laboring man and the trades unionist, if I understand him, is only equality before the law. Class legislation and unequal privileges, though expressly in his favor, will in the end work no benefit to him or to society. “Wm. H. Taft.”