The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-22
Urges OhiOans to Guard Against
 Democratic Gains
TOUCHES RAILROAD ISSUE
Maintains That Democratic Party Is Being Swept By Municipal Owner ship Mania, Notably In Chi
 cago and New York.

Akron, O., October 21.-An audience of two thousand people gathered to hear Secretary Taft's speech on the railroad rate discrimination question, and state issues. The railroad question was not re- ceived with great enthusiasm, but his re- pudiation of Cox and his machine, and especially his endorsement of Herrick was frequently applauded The seere- tary's throat was affected, causing him to speak with difficulty. He spoke as fol- lows:
 In beginning Secretary Taft indicated the national as well as the state impor- tance of the pending campaign in Ohio He pointed out that the defeat of Gov ernor Herrick would be heralded as the dawn of new democracy, significant of what was to happen in the next con gressional and presidential elections.
 Bryan Gradually Assuming Control.
 "The truth is" said he, perfectly ap- parent that MT. Bryan is gradually re- suming control over the democratic party and proposes to assume the aggressive in a controversy in which he hopes to array the poor against the rich to shake the present system of private property and freedom of contract, to cripple the federal courts that are now such a bull wark in the defense of the constitutional rights of individuals; to substitute for our present system of railway, privately owned and maintained, government rail- ways, and in every way to introduce a system Of paternallsm leaning toward socialism, which in the end would cer- tainly paralyze the industrial and social progress of this country. This movement in favor of government ownership of public utilities to include the commer- cial railroads is not mere chimera, It finds it's beginning in the proposition for municipal ownership of street railways by Mayor Dunne of Chicago by Mayor Mcclellan of New York. and even still more in the attitude of MT Hearst in run ming against Mr. Mcclellan"
 Secretary Taft said that Tom l.. John son of Cleveland known as an advocate of the single tax system. and of goveru- ment ownership of public utilities, was an earnest supporter of the democratic ticket in Ohio and in his belief the triumph of that ticket would bring 'Bryanism and Johnsonism to the front as the issues upon which we are to fight the next presi- dental campaign.
 To Meet Dangerous Attacks.
 "It is the purpose, and always has been of President Roosevelt in the policies which he has recommended for adoption by Congress to meet these dangerous attacks upon our present economic, so- cal and political conditions by remedy ing the actual evils which every one must recognize, and thus entrenching ourselves against the assaults of socialism. the sup pression of indvidualism, and the insti- gation of class hatred based on alleged injustice and abuses that do not exist. He has therefore been most active In the promotion of prosecutions under the anti trust law, and in the securing of legisla- ton to aid in it's enforcement. He be- lieves as every one must who knows anything about the subject that perhaps the most serious abuse of the last two decades has been the unjust discrimina- ton fin railway rates, as between individ- ual shippers, and as between different localities, and indeed. in some instances by rates in excess of that which would be reasonable for the service itself"
 In an exhaustive discussion of the pres ent law under which the interstate com merce commission operates. Secretary Taft explained how railroad rate ques tions were brought before the comms- sion, and through the commission be- fore the courts. He indicated many of the difficulties under which the com mission operates, some of which lead to reversal of the comm ssions order by the courts.
 Two Changes Necessary.
 "The results" said the Secretary. 'con- vinced those familiar with the law and anxious that it should operate effectively. that the two changes necessary were first provision authorizing the commission in declaring A rate to be unreasonable to declare at the same time what was a maximum reasonable rate, and to make an order requiring the company to re- duee it's rate to that maximum; and, second, that the law should under proper penalty require obedience to the order .t-. carriers to treat the order with proper respect, reserving to them the opportun- ity to avoid It's operation by a resort to the federal court
 "The two short amendments to the present law l have just described are all that the President hns -ooom~'ondo1 to Congress. He regards them for the reasons I have attempted to state. as essential to an effective interstate com merce law"
 Secretary Taft maintained that such supervision was proposed was mot taking the railroads out of the hands of their owners" and that it did not even approximate government ownership. He held that the interstate commerce. commission could dispose of cases brought before 1t as rapidly and justly as the courts.
 ''The admitted truth Is that the rail- roads in the past have Intentionally given rebates to individuals. and have thus ruined their competitors. and that the giving of rebates was so general during the decade last passed that very few railroads were exempt from 1t. The evils of chief moment today are undue dis elimination between localities in rates, and between individuals not in rates but in peculiar privileges. The new amend ments are framed to meet both of these abuses and when one calmly examines them they will be found to be most con seryative"
 Mir. Astor Reusters Kick,