The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-08-02
NEW YORK WORLD

1t would be folly to deny that Mr..
Taft's speech of acceptance is a strong
and singularIy able political brief
Independent voters may agree or
disagree with Mr.. Taft on the issues
of the campaign, but there are few
who will fail TO admire the calm, dis
passionate, judicial tone in which he
discusses every question of impoT-
lance presented in either the Repub-
lican or the Democratic platform Al
though Mr.. Taft will proudly poses
as a Man of My Type, there are few
more vivid contrasts in American poll
ties than that which his speech pre-
sents in comparison with the passion
ate, turbulent denunciation of Mr..
ROOseveltS speeches and messages.
Mr. Taft has recognized the great
political blUnder of the Chicago con-
vention in rejecting the La Toilette
DlankS and has tried to repair the
damage by Incorporating these recon-
mendauons into his speech. He favOTs
an income tax when the customs and
internal-revenue laws fail to provide
sufficient revenue for the government,
and believes a constitutional amend
ment is unnecessary. But he failed
TO mention a graduated inheritance
tax, and his qualification largely dis
qualheS his incOme-tax proposal If
there is 10 be no income tax until Gus
toms and tnternal-Tevenue receipts are
inadequate to support the government
the Republican party will see that the
tariff is kept high enough to prevent
such a measure. Were Mr.. Taft Who'll
~ sincere on this issue he would have
advocated an income tax in connection
with the revision of the DingIey tariff
next spring, TO take immediate eff
feet.
he Endorses campaign-fund publici-
" and fayoTs an act to this end which
will represent the full constitutional
power Of Congress. He favors a
physical valuation Of railroad proper
" as factor in determining the
redsOnableness of rates.
Although fulsOme in his praise of
Mr.. Roosevelt as a leader of public
conscience, Mr. Taft stops far short
of approving the Roosevelt policies
in the way of new experimental Iegis-
lat1on- He insists that the chief funC-
ton of the next administration is to
clinch what has been done" He repu-
dates Mr. ROOsevelt's national incor-
poratiOn and Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr..
Garfeld's compulsory national license
and enforced national registry for all
corporations engaged IN interstate
commerce as an intolerable burden.
Instead of giving more power to the
Interstate Commerce Commission he
would very wisely make it a quasi
judicial body To hear and investigate
complaints, transferring it's present
executive duties to another bureau.
He would apply the common-Iaw
principle to the control of trusts. de-
termining what is unlawful by the
corporations practices. not by the
amount of its capital or the extent
TO which it controlled the product
whether there is an element of duress
in the conduct OF its BUSINESS toward
the customers in the trade and its
competitors Taking issue with his
opponent on this question. he insists
that the function CT government is
not 10 destroy all trusts, but to re-
strain unlawful acts and punish
criminaIIy the guilty persons.
In respect to tariff revision Mr.. Taft
stands on the dubious Chicago plat
form. but while urging that such re-
IisiOn is necessary and that many
schedules ought to be reduced, he ad-
vances the amazing argument that
there are other schedules which should
be raised in order 10 maintain the
principle of protection This is even
worse that the Chicago plank. II it
Is not plain surrender to the extreme
high-prOteCtion plutOcTacy within the
Republican party then Mr. Taft'S
words have no meaning
To labor and the courts he devotes
more attention than to anything else
but declares that there are many la
5oreTs who are not organized and
their rights before the law ARE exact
" the same as those of the union men.
He affirms the right Of any body of
men to strike; to use persuasion. pro-
yided there is no dUress. TO accumu-
late strike funds and to withhold Gus
tom from those with whom they are
n controversy. What they have not
me right TO do he says. is to iniure
their employers property, 20 iujuTe his
business BY threats against those who
work for him or deal with him OF to
carry on a secondary boycott against
his customers and those who deal with
him Such threatened unlawful in
Iurles can be adequately remedied,
he declares, only by the writ of in
junction.
Mr. Taft favors a notice and hearing
before an Injunction is issued. except
in cases where action must be i'm
mediate In these instances he wouId
have the law define with great par
ticularity the exceptional cases in
which the restraining order NAV be
issued without notice But as for iruy
trials IN contempt ca-es he is IRE
Foca0ly opposed Such trials would
not apply merely 10 labor contempt
cases, which are few, but to all
contempts committed outside the
presence Of the Court. Not
only would a jury trial impair
a necessary power of the Courts.
but he insists that the chief benef-
ClaTy would not be the vorkingman.
but the wealthy and unscrupulous
defendant able to employ astute and
cunning counsel and anxious to avoid
Justice He characterizes the Denver
demand for jury trials in contempt
cases as the most insidioUs attack
ever made in this country upon the
authority Of the in dietary. He would.