Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-09-17
REMARKABLE TRIBUTE PAID TO
THE NOMINEE OF THE RE-
PUBLICAN PARTY.
HELD UP AS MODEL
CITIZEN, OF NATION.
In Letter to His Old Friend, Mr..
Conrad kohrs Of Helena, Montana,
the Chief Executive Appeals to the
Party to Support the Man Best
Fitted to Carry On the Policies
Inaugurated by the Present Ad-
ministration.

Mr.. Conrad Kohrs. Of Helena. Mon
tana. is an old time Montana cattle man
and one of the most prominent citizens
OF Montana. lie and the president came
into close relationship more than 20 years
ago when they were both members OF the
Montana Stock Growers association. the
president being at that time the repre-
sentative of the Little Missouri Stock
Growers In the association. The init
macy has been kept up ever since Mr..
Kohrs is one of the pioneer citizens
of the northern Rocky mountain region
and one of the men who has taken a
leading part in its great development
Sycamore Hill.
oyster Bay. n. Y, Sept. 9, 1908.
MY Dear Mr.. Kohrs:
] have received your letter about the
candidacy OF Mr. Taft. the man who
feel is in an especial sense the repre-
sentative of all that in which / most
believe in political life.
Every good citizen should desire to see
both prosperity and justice. prosperity
and fair and righteous dealing as be-
tween man and man. obtain permanently
In this great republic. AS a people we
are justly proud OF our business indus
try. OF our energy and intelligence in our
work: and II is entirely right that we
should ask ourselves as to any given
course OF conduct: "Will IL be profitable?"
But II Is also no less emphatically true
that the bulk Of our people. the plain peo-
pie who found in Abraham Lincoln their
especial champion and spokesman, re-
gard the question: rs this morally
right?" as even more important than the
question: us this profltable?" when APP
piled TO any given course OF con-
duct. Indeed. in the long run our
people are sure to find that in
all dealings, alike In the business
and the political world, what is really
profitable is that which is morally right.
The last few years have seen a great
awakening OF the public conscience and
the growth Of a stern determination to do
away with corruption and unfair deal
ing. political. economic. social. II is ur-
gently necessary that this great reform
movement should go on. But no reform
movement is healthy If IL goes on by
spasms: If IL is marked by periods OF
frenzied advance, followed. as such peri
DDS OF frenZied advance must always be
followed. by equally violent periods OF
reaction. To permit the direction of our
public affairs TO fall alternately into the
hands of the revolutonaries ard reac-
tionaries of the extreme radicals of I'M
rest and OF the bigoted conservatives who
recognize no wrongs to remedy, would
merely mean that the nation had en-
barked on n feverish course of violent
oscillation which would be fraught with
great temporary trouble, and would pro-
duce no adequate good in the end. The
true friend of reform. the true foe of
abuses, is the man who steadily perse
vers in righting wrongs, in warning
against abuses. but whose character and
training are such that he never promises
what he cannot perform, that he always
a little more than makes good what he
does promise. and that, while steadily
advancing, he never permits himself to
be led into foolish excuses which would
damage the very cause he champions.
In Mr. Taft we have n man who com
bines all OF these qualities to n degree
which no other man in our public life
since the civil war has surpassed. The
honest man OF means, the honest and
law-abiding business man, can feel safe
in his hands because of the very fact
that the dishonest man of great wealth,
the man who swindles or robs his fell
lows, would not so much as dare TO de-
fend his evil-dong in Mr.. Tafts presence.
The honest wage-worker, the honest la
boring man, the honest farmer, the hon
est mechanic or small trader, or man OF
small means can feel that in peculiar
sense Mr.. Taft will be his representative
because of the very fact that he has the
same scorn for the demagog that he has
for the corruptionst, and that he would
front threats of personal violence from a
mob with the unequaling and lofty In
difference with which he would front the
bitter anger OF the wealthiest and most
powerful corporations.
I have naturally a peculiar interest In
the success OF Mr.. Taft and in seeing
him backed by majority in both houses
of congress which will heartily support
his policies For the last ten years, while
| have been governor of New York and
president | have been thrown into the
closest intimacy with him, and he and
have on every essential point stood
in heartiest agreement, shoulder 10 shoul-
der. We have the same views as to what
is demanded by the national interest
and honor both within our own borders,
and as regards the relations of this ma
ton with other nations. There is no fight
for decency and fair dealing which l
have waged in which l have not had his
heartiest and most effective sympathy
and support, and the policies for which
I stand are his policies as much as mine.
Mr.. Taft can be trusted to exact Justice
from the railroads for the very reason
that he can be trusted to do justice TO
the railroads The railroads are the chief
instruments of interstate commerce In
the country, and they can neither be
held to a proper accountability on the
one hand nor given proper protection on
the other, save by the affirmative action
\ Of the federal government. The law as
shows that the states have not and can
not devise laws adequate TO meet the
problems caused by the great growth OF
the railroads doing an interstate COM
merce business. for more than four-ffths
OF the business OF the railroads Is inter
state and under the constitution OF the
United States only the federal govern
ment can exercise control thereover. IL
Is absolutely necessary that this control
should be affirmative and thoroughgoing.
All Interstate business carried on by the
great corporations should, In the interest
OF the whole people. be far more closely
| supervised than at present by the ma
tional government; but this Is especially
true OF the railroads, which cannot ex-
list at all save by the exercise OF powers
| granted them on behalf of the people. and
| which, therefore. should be held 10 pc
| culiar accountability TO the people. IL Is
| in the interest OF the people that they
| should not be permitted to do injustice
and Il IL no less to the interest OF the
| people that they should not suffer injus-
| tice II Is TO the interest OF shipper
| farmer, wage-worker, business man. hon
| est shareholder, and honest manager
/ alike that there should be economy, hon