Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-09-17

eSty, intelligence and fair treatment OF
all, The stockholders must receive an
ample return on their investments or the
railroads cannot be built and success
fully maintained; and the rates to ship
pers and the wages to employees, from the
highest to the lowest, must all be condi-
toned upon this fact On the other
hand, in a public service corporation we
have right to allow such excessive
profits as will necesstate rates being
unduly high and wages unduly low.
Again, while I'm all proper ways rates
must be kept low, we must always re-
member that we have no right and no
justification to reduce them when the
result Is the reduction of the wages OF
the great army of railroad men. A fair
working arrangement must be devised
according to the needs of the several
cases, so that profits wages and rates
shall each be reasonable with reference
to the other two-and in wages 1 include
the properly large amounts which should
always be paid to those whose MASTER
full ability is required for the success
full direction of great enterprises.
If there is one body of men more than
another whose support l feel I have
right to challenge on behalf OF Secre-
tary Taft II is the body of wage-work-
crs of the country. A stauncher friend.
fairer and truer representative, they
cannot find within the borders of the
United States. He will do everything in
his power for them except to do that
which is wrong; he will do wrong for no
man, and therefore can be trusted by all
men.
Mr.. Taft has been attacked because
Of the injunctions he delivered while
on the bench. am content to rest his
case on these very injunctions; ] main
tain that they show why all our people
should be grateful to him and should feel
it safe to intrust their dearest interests
to him. Most assuredly he never has
yielded and never will yield to threat or
pressure of any sort. as little IL 1t comes
from labor as II 1t comes from capital;
he will no more tolerate the violence of
a mob than the corruption and oppres-
sion and arrogance of corporation or
of wealthy man. He will not consent
to limit the power of the courts to put
n stop to wrongdoing wherever found.
This very fact should make the labor
people feel a peculiar confidence in him.
His record as judge makes the whole
country his debtor. His actions and de-
cisions are part of the great traditions
of the bench. They guaranteed and set
forth in striking fashion the rights of
the general public as against the selfish
interests of any class, whether OF capi-
talists or of laborers. They set forth and
stand by the rights of the wage-workers
to organize and to strike, as unequivocal-
ly as they set forth and stand by the
doctrine that no conduct will be tolerated
that would spell destruction to the ma
ton as q whole. AS for the attack upon
his injunctions in labor disputes, made
while he was on the bench, I ask that
the injunctions be carefully examined I
ask that every responsible and fair
minded labor leader, every responsible
and fair-minded member Of q labor or
ganization. read these injunctions for
| himself. If he will do so, instead OF con-
| demning them he will heartily approve of
them and will recognize this further as
| tonishing fact that the principles laid
down by Judge Taft in these very in
| functions, which laboring people are asked
to condemn, are themselves the very prin-
| cples which are now embodied in the
| laws or practices of every responsible Ia
| Dor organization. Judge Taft on the
| bench-as since in the Philippines, in
| Panama, In Cuba, in the war depart
ment-showed himself to be a wise, a
| fearless, and an upright servant of the
| whole people, whose services to the whole
| people were beyond all price.
Let all fairminded men, wage-workers
| and capitalists alike, consider yet an
other fact. In one of his decisions upon
| the bench Judge Taft upheld In the
strongest fashion. and for the first time
gave full vitality to. the principle of the
|
| workmen. This was before any national
law on the subject was enacted. Judge
| Taft's sense of right. his indignation
| against oppression in any form, against
| any attitude that Is not fair and just.
drove him to take position which was
| violently condemned by short-sighted
capitalists and employers Of labor, which
was so far in advance of the time that
it was not generally upheld by the state
courts, but which we are now embodyine
| in the law of the land. Judge Taft was
a leader. a pioneer while on the bench
| in the effort to get justice for the wage
| worker, in Jealous championship of his
| rights; and all upright and farsghtec
| laboring men should hold 1t to his credit
| that at the same time he fearlessly stood
against the abuses of labor, just as he
fearlessly stood against the abuses OF
capital If elected, he has shown by his
deeds that he will be president of nc
class but Of the people as whole; he
can be trusted to stand stoutly against
the two real enemies of our democracy
| against the man who to please one class
| would undermine the whole foundation
of orderly liberty, and against the mar
| who in the interest of another class
would secure business prosperity by
sacrificing every right of the working
people.
I would for no consideration advise thu
| wage-WOrKer TO 90 Wndt thought wal
against his interest. / ask his support FOL
Mr.. Taft exactly as I ask such supper
from every farsighted and right-thinkinf
American citizen; because l believe witt
all my heart that nowhere within TIT
borders of our great country can there b.
found another man who will as vigilantlI
and efficiently as Mr.. Taft support thu
rights of the working man as he will thu
rights of every man who in good faitf
strives to do his duty as an American
citizen. He will protect the just rights
of both rich and poor, and he will wal
relentlessly against lawlessness and In
Justice whether exercised on behalf o
property or of labor.
On the bench Judge Taft showed TIT
two qualities which make a great judge
wisdom and moral courage. They are al
so the two qualities which make grea
president.
Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Mr.. Conrad Kohrs, Helena, Mont.
Unioue Southern Railroad.
| III. p,,h1;o palt railroad 0f New