The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-20
WAR SECRETARY WIN. II, TAFT EXPOUNDS HIS VIEWS
ON PUBLIC I%SSUES-APPROYES ROOSEYLTS COURSE

latures may not modify or take away.
The States, therefore, can hest remedy the
dangers of too great accumulation of wealth
In one hand by controlling the descent and
deyolntion of property and they ought to
to do so. They can adopt the French method
which requires the division Of a large part
of a mans fortune between all his children
and gives him absolute power with respect
to only a fraction. This would secure a
division in the second generation and O
probable change for the better in respect
already and properly adopted Il graduated
Inheritance tax which not only reduces the
great fortune but lessons the motive for
its accumulation.
Federal action for a Federal end
may legitImately have an indirect
effect to aid the States in reforms
When. therefore,, the Government
revenues need addition, or readjust-
ment, believe a Federal graduated
of raising government funds. 1t is
easily and certainly collected.
A graduated Income Tux would also
have a fendcncy to reduce the motive
for the denominations of enormous
wealth, but the Supreme Court has
exercise of power by the Federal
Government. The objection to 1t from
a practical standpoint Is its inquisi-
toriaI character and the premium II
puts on perjury. In times of great
national need, however, nm income tax
would be of great assistance in fur
ATAAAh hNAh ~ GAAAy oA NV WYNN
ment.
How the Supreme Court. with changed
membership. would view a new income tax
law under such conditions, the Secretary
went on to observe. was something of a
question. 1t gained Significance from the
fact that 1.-THE court was nearly evenly d.
yided in the last case and during the Civil
War. great sums were collected by an in
come tax without judicial interference and
as it was then supposed within the Fed
eral power" He continued:
Critics of President Roosevelt denounce
his policies as socialistic and likely to
impair the Institution of private property.
The Institution of private property next
to that of civil liberty Is the most inn
portant factor in all that is good in mod
ern society, it Is indispensable to in
~dividualism and is one of the two chief
means by which man raised himself from
a low estate near to that Of the beasts
of the field to his present condition.. But
Ii the people are not convinced that 1t
Is possible to eradicate the evils and
abuses arising from the INSCRIPTIONS use
OF wealth and corporate combination un-
der the system of private property, the
movement toward its abolition and the
adoption of socialism in som form will
gain great strength.
President Roosevelt would stop this
movement by a demonstration that 1t Is
possible under the system of private prop
erty, by efficient government regulation,
supervision and prosecution, to stamp out
the evils which have created our social un-
rest. He knows what a futile remedy So
cialism will prove to be.
The critics I nave referred to are in the
habit of charging to Mr.. Roosevelt respon-
sibility for all the recent State Legislation
looking TO the restraint OF corporations,
and especially for that which cuts down
the passenger rates on State railways.
This is most unjust, for whether such leg
i~slation is proper or oppressive. the inn
petus that carried 1t into law was given
not by Mr.. Roosevelt but by the evils that
he has been attempting to remedy within
the Federal jurisdiction. The railways
can blame no one but themselves If the
revelation of their fragrant violations of
law and Of their unjust administration of
Il public trust have led to an outburst
OF popular Indignation and have brought
on temporary excess.
Again, every time that there is q fall in
the prices Of stocks in Wall street, those
who are in%jurious1y affected condemn the
President with great bitterness as respon-
sible for their losses. Just at present there
has been a very serious depression in the
values Of marketable securities, and 1t Is
said that the Presidents attitude toward
corporations has 5een the cause of ibis.
such critics, fail to observe that there has
been a similar decrease in the marketable
Value-not only Of railway stocks but of
governWent consols abroad, and that there
Is 2 stringency in the markets OF the
world.
1T is not true that the President is
engaged in a raid against all corpora
tions. 1t IL not true that he proposes
to rip up past transactions. when by
reason of the injury to innocent pur-
cbasers such a course would do more
Injustice than good. His only policy
and sworn duty is to prosecute, with
the fullest vigOr, the corporations and
individuals whose fragrant violations
of the law make II necessary to do so,
in order that complete reform may be
effected in our business methods with
raauaA IN thu axyfIa xrhAoI. hnxa
described.
Comparing the theories of government of
Roosevelt and Bryan, Mr.. Taft declared
that the differences were radical. OF the
President he said.
Mr.. Roosevelt believes in the possibility
of the individuals being honest, courage
Gus and just and able to resist the infiu-
ence of "the money power" to wean him
from the path of duty. He believes that
the, people can select individuals who may
be trusted as public officers. executive,
Legislative and judicial, to WELD. without
abuse and in the interest of the people,
the powers needed to conduct an efficient
government. He has faith in the mainten-
ance of an honest, courageous and efficient
representative popular legislature that will
give the rich and poor equal protection and
opportunity before the law.
Certainly it is difficult for an impartial
observer to find anything in the actual
monies with what would be the govern
ment under Mr.. Bryan If he could carry
out his theories. Mr.. Roosevelt is doing
everything in his power to avoid the con-
dition which Mr.. Bryan's theories when
put in practise would bring about.
The present business system OF the
country rests on the protective tariff.
and any attempt to change 1T to n free
trade basis will certainly lend only to
dishster.
1t Is the duty Of the Republican
party. however. TO see 10 IL that the
tariff on imported articles does not ex-
coed substantially the reasonably per-
manent diffcrentfaI between the cost
of production in the foreign countries
and that in the United states. and
therefore when changes take place In
the conditions of production likely 10
produce n very large reduction In the
cost of production In the United States.
IT is time that schedules he reexamined
and IL excessive that they be reduced
so as to bring them within the justin
cation for the rule, by which the
amount of thrift to he imposed under
the protective system IL properly de-
fermined.
Whenever the tariff imposed is largely
in excess of the dlfferential between the
cost of production In the two countries,
then there Is formed at once a great temp
tation to m~onopolize the business of pro-
ducing the particular product, and to axe
advantage Of profit In The excessive tariff.
This denies to the people altogether the
economies of production thai competition
under a protective tariff should develop.
In the enormous progress In the manu-
featuring plants and the Improvement IN
~,o4l,1J, rrbf,l, I4a,ro bapp hro,rrbt rhoA4 |