The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-01-11
TAFT DEFINES
HIS ATTITUDE
TOWARD LABOR
Advocates Unionism and Admits
Right of Workingmen
to Strike
Faces Gotham Audience for First
Time Since Becoming Rec
Ognized Candidate
Declares Against Federal Own
ership and Denounces Abuse
of Capital Combinations


first time since he became recog-
nized candidate for the republican
presidential nomination, Secretary
William H. Taft tonight faced a New
York audience and set forth in detail
his stand on the question of the rela-
tive interests and rights of labor and
capital, and in turn submitted to a
rapid fire attack from the audience,
which quizzed him keenly. and in a
somewhat controversial spirit, accord
ing to the practice of the Peoples Ia
stitute, whose guest he was. The sec
retary proved equally effective in at
tack and defense, and his prompt and
forcible replies. and occasional witty
sallies evoked the same demonstration
OF applause as greeted the salient
points of his address proper.
Two thousand persons, its capacity,
had crowded into Cooper union when
police reserves were summoned to clear
the walks in front of the building.
where 1000 or more had congregated.
AS the form of the secretary of war
made its way through the throng, a
shout of three cheers for the next
president was the signal for a noisy
ovation that continued until Taft
bowed his acknowledgement from the
platform.
In his prepared address the secre-
tary pointed out the dependence. one
upon the other, of capital and labor.
He declared that great aggregations of
wealth properly employed wideneds the
field of labor and were to be welcomed,
while wealth improperly used was to
condemned. He advocated unionism in
so far as sympathy and the resultant
cooperation made for the common
good.
AUDIENCE ASKS QUESTIONS
At the conclusion of his speech
the audience had it's turn. Chairman
Charles Sprague Smith announced that
Secretary Taft would read questions as
they were handed up.
The first questioner desired to know
if the secretary would stake his politi-
cal future on the attitude taken by tbs
administration on the Brownsville in
cident.
Secretary Taft deciined to answer the
question. stating that the matter was
now before the senate. committee and
there had been no discussion in tbs
senate.
DO you think\ lsborer gets enough
money!" was the next question, tc
which Secretary Taft -aughingly re
piled:
Il don't know what the laborer gets
/ don't know what labor he per
forms, but 1 do know that some labor
ers get more than they ought to have
and 1 think some should get more"
There was loud shout when TIL
secretary commenced 20 laugh Will
reading over question which inquiries
why he had changed his attitud
toward labor since he left the Obi
bench.
The secretary declared that his atti
tude had not changed. and that tn
things he had said tonight he had al
ways stood by.
rs not an industrial situation base
on tariff a false one?.
The secretary replied that II tn
tariff was abolished now there woul
be no business at all. Further, h
said. he would not discuss the tari
issue at this time.
SPEAKS OF INJUNCTIONs 4
A question concerning the right c
an employer to bring Injunction pro
ceedings induced the secretary to cit
case in which he appeared as counse
Moores & Co had obtained judgmen
of $1,000 against labor union, h
said. and 1t took years to obtain tn
money. The secretary added that
an injunction had been obtained b
Moores they would not have suffere
any damage. Shortly afterward a hu
morously inclined auditor sent up tn
following question, which caused
general laugh:
IF it took Moores & Co. 10 years I
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