Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-09-11
TAFT wfAKEns ON REFORM.

Secretary Taft's speech will prove
a disappointment to those who ex-
pected clear bugle note in favor
reform. There is not single ques-
ton on which he takes a strong,
advanced position.
On the railroad question he is in
favor of preventing watered stock,
opposes the consolidation of COM
peting lines and the duplication of
directorates. So far so good; but
he does not advocate the ascertain
ing of the value of the roads or the
reduction of rates. He even de-
tends the president from the charge
of favoring the reductions made BY
the states. The railroads may OBJ.
ject to his rhetorical denunciation
OF abuses. but they will hardly be
scared by his remedies.
On the trust question he thun-
ders at unlawful trusts, but not on
ly does not recommend new legis-
lation but takes the position that
a monopoly may not be harmful.
He seems to lean toward the idea
that it must be convicted of some
harmful act-and this throws the
burden Of proof upon the govern
ment. He recognizes tina" restraint
is more difficult" when one corpo-
ration swallows up lot of other
corporations that sit involves
enormous labor on the part of the
government to prosecute such
combination because the proof of
the gist of the ofense lies under
meath an almost limitless variety
of transactions and yet he is op-
posedto the license system which
would enable the government to
absolutely prevent monopoly. In
other words, he gives the benefit of
the doubt to the corporation in
stead of to the people. He thinks
that putting one or two trust mag.
mates in the penitentiary would
have a healthy effect, but he uses
so many qualifying words that one
is left in doubt as to what he real.
ly favors.
After submitting an argument
in support of an inheritance tax
and graduated income tax, he
concludes by saying that he is not
in favor of adopting either of them
now. At some future time he may
favor them if they are needed.
He comes out strong in favor of
government by injunction, but does
not take any position on arbitra-
ton and election of senators by
the people.
He takes a rap at socialism, de-
nounces the initiative and referen-
dunn and presents an argument
against government ownership of
railroads. He is stronger in stat
ing what he opposes than in stat
ing what he favors and he-unin-
tentionally, of course-misstates
Mr. Bryan's position on several
questions.
He makes out a strong case in
favor of tariff reform, but when he
gets to the remedy he goes no
farther than the republican leaders
have gone in former campaigns.
He wants enough tariff to cover the
difference in cost of labor here and
abroad-the excuse given for the
present tarif-and he wants the
tariff reformed by its friends.
Tariff reform by the friends of the
tariff" is a farce and fraud and
the secretary runs away from the
conclusions which would naturally
be drawn from the statistics which
he presents.
The conservatives may object to
his speech because it admits many
democratic contentious, but no real
reformer will find encouragement
In it. 1t is a straddle of the most
important issues-a compromise
instead of fight for reform.-Com-
moner.