THE PRESIDENCY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 229, 20 June 1908, Page 5

THE PRESIDENCY.

o——. BEPOBUCAN -CONVENTION. r MR. TAFT NOMINATED. ROOSEVELT'S PLATFORM ADOPTED. BC TELEGRAPH—PBESB ASSOCIATION—COPIBIQHI. (Rec. June 19; 9i15 p.m.) New York," Juno 19. In the presence of a gathering of 14,000 at Chicago the Republican Convention adopted with acclamation Mr.. Roosoyelt's platform, including in a modified form the anti-injunction plank, which upholds the authority of the courts. Another plank demands the strengthening of the Sherman anti-trust law, and a third recommends tho revision of the tariff by a special session of Congress immediately after the inauguration of the next President.' - Tho workers are described a.s tho most direct beneficiaries under the protective systom. Tho platform declares that the United States owns one-fourth of tho! world's wealth, and makes one-third of modern manufactured products. ... — ■ When Mr. Taft'.was proposed for" the Presidency thero was a 'demonstration second only to that accorded to Mr. Roosevelt. The voting was as follows:— W. H. Taft (Secretary for War) ... 702 Senator Knox ... j 68 C. E. Hughes (Governor of New York) ... ... 63 J. C. ( Cannon (Speaker of,the Houso of Representatives) ... .... .61 C. W. Fairbanks (President of the' " ■ Senate) 40 Senator La Follet.ta 25 Senator Foraker ... 16 Tho Pennsylvanians, amidst immense cheering, cast three votes for Mr. Roosevelt. Mr. Taft's nomination was more unanimous at a subsequent vote. THE ANTI-INJUNCTION PLANK. Mr. Roosevelt's insistence upon a strengthening of the Sherman law has Ions; been a settled feature of his policy. His adoption of-tariff revision was also forecasted -Ion? ago. Tho anti-injunction" plank is a fairly recent addition to,his programme, and is a part of his plan for settling the conflict between the labour organisations and the oniployors. In a Message to Congress on April 30 last he thus dealt with the abuse of the power of injunction in labour disputes:—

First, as to tha power of injunction and of punishment, for contempt. In-contempt cases, say© where immediate action is imporative, tho trial should bo before another judge. As regards injunctions, some such legislation as that I have previously recommended should be enacted. They aro blind who fail to realise tho exfcremo bitterness caused among large bodies of worthy ■ citizens bv tho uso that has been repeatedly made of the power of injunction in labour disputes. Those in whoso judgment wo have most right to trust aro of tho opinion that while much of tho complaint against tho uso of injunction is unwarranted, yet that it is unquestionably true that in a number of cases this power has been used to the gravo. injury of the rights of labouring men. I aßlc that it bo limited in somo such ways as that I har# already pointed out in my previous message's, for tho very reason that I do not wish to sao an embittered effort made. to. destroy it. It is unwise stubbornly to refuse to provido against a rqpetition of tho abuses which have caused the present unrest. In a democracy liko ours it is idle to expect permanently to thwart the determination of the great body of our citizens. Jt may be,-and often is, tho highest duty of a court, a Legislature, or an executive, to resist and defy a gust of popular passion; and most certainly no public servant, whatever msj bo the-consequencos to himself;. BhOJildi yifilS' to •what ho thinks wrong. '-/But' in a question which is emphatically one of public policy, the policy which the public demands is sure in tho end to be adopted; and a persistent refusal to grant to a large portion of our pooplo what is righf is only too apt in the end-to result in causing snch irritation that when the right is obtained .it is obtained-in tho course of a movement so ill considered and violent as to be accompanied by much thaj; ,is wrong. . .The process of injunction'in*labour disputes, as well as whore State laws aro" should be used sparingly, and ,only ; when there is the clearest necessity for it; but it is one so nccessary to tho efficient .performance of. duty by tho court on beh'alf of tho nation'that it is in tho highest degree to be regretted that it should be liable to reckless use; for this reckless uso tends to make honest men. desire so to hamper its execution as to destroy its usefulness.