THE PRESIDENCY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 336, 24 October 1908, Page 5

THE PRESIDENCY.

COMPETITION FOR THE LABOUR VOTE. A CHALLENGE. BRYAN AND HIS ALLY .GOMPERS. fm TEteamrn—rness association—coriEianT.J (Rec. October 23, 9.50 p.m.) ■' New York, October 23. President' Roosevelt has created a sensation by challenging Mr. Bryan (the Democratic candidate for tho Presidency) to say if ho favours tho policy advocated by Mr. Gompers (President of the Federation of Labour), who is actively supporting him. Mr, Gompers urges Congress 'to legalise the boycott and the black list. MR. GOMPERS AND THE BOYCOTT. Mr. Samuel Gompers, who last November, was re-elected President of the American Federation of Labour, has appealed to labour union men to support the Democratic ticket. In this lie is opposed by several Labour leaders of less prominence. A Court in the district of Columbia recently made an order forbidding Mr. Gompers and others to continue the boycott of the Buck's Stove and .Range Company. It is alleged by the company that they have disoboyed this order. Further proceedings aro pending. Mr. Gompers also made an appeal to Mr. W. R. Hearst, founder of the Independence party, saying it would be "an act of the greatest patriotism for tho Independence party to endorse tho Democratic platform." Mr. Hearst, latterly the arch-enemy of both Democrat and Republican, replied in the following knock-out terms:— _"I _ do not think the path of patriotism lies in supporting a discredited and decadent old party, which has neither conscientious conviction nor honest intention, or in endorsing ohameleon candidates who ohange the colour of their political opinion with every varying hue of opportunism. "I do not think the best benefit of labouring men lies in supporting that old party because of a sop of false promise, when the performance of that party while in power did more to injure Labour than all the injunctions ever issued, before or since." The destination of the Labour vote isj.of course, of vast importance to both Ilepulilicans and Democrats, and President Roosevelt, by his. careful attention for months past 'to the injunction issue, has shown his appreciation of the position.. The Republican Convention, however, modified the President's' injunction^plank.