Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-09-14
LETTER FROM ROOSEVELT
ON TAFT'S CANDIDACY.

member that we have no right ana 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 reaSona bic with reference
to the other twO--and in wages J IN
clude the properly large amounts which
should always be paid to those whose
maeterful ability is required for the
successful direction of great enterpris-
Is. Combinations which favor such an
equitable arrangement should them
selves be favored end not forbidden by
law; although they should be strictly
| supervised by the Government through
| the Interstate Commerce Commission,
which should have the power of pass
| ing Summarily upon not only the ques-
! ton Of the reduction but the raising Of
rates.
| This railroad problem is itself one Of
| the phases of one of the greatest and
most intricate problems of our civiliza
| ton: for its proper solution we need
| net merely honesty and courage, but
| judgment. good sense, and entire fair
| mindedneSs. Demagogy in such
matter is as certain to work evil as
corruption itself. The man who
promises to raise the wages of railroad
employees to the highest point and at
the same time to reduce rates to the
lowest point is promising what neither
he nor anyone else can perform: and
II the effort to perform it were at
tempted disaster would result TO both
shipper and wage worker, and ruin to
the business interests of the country.
The man to trust in such matter as
this is the man who, like Judge Taft,
does not promise too much. but who
could not be swayed from the path of
duty by any argument. by any con-
sider2ton, who will wage relentless
war on the successful wrongdoer
among railroad men as among all 9TH
err men, who will do all that can be
done to secure legitimately low rates
to shippers and absolute cvenneSS
among the rates thus secured; but who
VIII neither promise nor attempt to
secure rates so low that the wage
Garner would lose lis earnings and the
shareholder. whose money built the
road, his profits. He will not favor a
ruinous experiment like government
ownership of railways; he will stand
AGAINST any kind of confiscation of
honestly acquired property; but he will
work effectively for the most efficient
type of government supervision and
control of railways. so as to secure
just and fair treatment of the people
a. q whole.
What is here said as to his attitude
on the railway question applies to the
M. %,x,,, & IL,
promise nothing ON this subject I'M
less he firmly believes he can make
his promise good He will go into no
chimercal movement to destroy all
great business combinations; for this
can only be done by destroying all
modern business: but he will in p"ac-
teal fashion do everything possible to
secure such efficient control. on behalf
of the people as a whole. over these
great combinations as will deprive
them of the power to work evil Mr. |
Tafts decision in the Addystone Pipe
Line case while on the bench is proof, |
by deeds not by words. Of the far
sighted wisdom with which he serves
the interests of the whole people even
when those of the most powerful cor
porations are hostile thereto.
If there is one body of men more
than another whose support l feel |
have right to challenge on behalf of
Secretary Taft it is the body of wage
WORKERS of the country A stauncher |
friend. a fairer and truer representa-
tive. they cannot find within the Dor
ders of the United States. He will do
everything in his power for them ex-
cept to do that which is wrong; he
will do wrong for no man, and there
fore can be trusted by all men Dur |
ing the ten years of my intimate ac
Quaintance with him, since l have my |
self as Governor and President, been |
obliged to deal practically with labor !
problems. he has been one of the men |
npon whose judgment and aid | could |
always rely i'll doing everything posi- |
BILE for the cause of the wage-worker, |
of the man who works with his hands, |
or with both hands and head.
Mr.. Taft has been attacked because |
of the injunctions he delivered while |
on the bench. l am content to rest |
his case on these very injunCtions; | |
maintain that they show why all our
people should be grateful to him and |
should feel it safe to entrust their dear
est interests to him. Most assuredly |
he never has yielded and never will |
yield to threat or pressure Of any sort |
as little if it comes from la Dor as if it |
comes from capital; ne will no more
tolerate the violence of a mob than |
tho corruption and oppression and ar
rogance of u corporation or of a
wealthy man. He will not consent to |
limit the power of the courts to put a |
stop to wrongdoing wherever found |
This very fact should make the people |
feel a peculiar confidence in him He
has incurred the bitter hostility Of |
foolish and bigoted reactionaries by his |
frank criticism of the abuse of the |
power of injunction in labor disputes. |
and he is pledged to do all he can to
put stop to the abuses in the exercise
of the power Of Injunction. He will |
never promise anything that he will |
not do all in his power to perform. |
He can always be trusted to do a lit |
tie better than his word. and the fact |
that before election he will not prom
Use the impossible is in itself guar
anty that after election all that is pos
sible will be done.