The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-14
TAFT IS GIVEN
 WARM WELCOME Detroit Is Enthussd Over Visit
 of War Secretary
GREAT MORAL AWAKENING
Secretary Taft Emphasizes the Prose- cution of Dishonesty By the Courts and Declares That Honesty
 Must at Last Prevail.

Detroit. Mich, February 13.-Secretary of War William H. Taft, who was the guest this afternoon of the Michigan Re- tail Lumber Dealers association, talked for half an hour at the luncheon which was rendered him by the association upon the Moral Awakening Recently From These Methods Which Permit Illegality and Fraud" The address was the cul- troit.
 Arriving in the city at 12 o'clock from Grand Rapids in company with M. Jus serand, the French ambassador, Cover nor Curtis Guild Jr., of Massachusetts, United States Senator William Alden Smith of Michigan, Governor F. M. War ner and several other speakers at last nights Lincoln club banquet in that city, Secretary Taft and the party were driven to the Hotel Pontonartrain. The secre- tary greeted several thousand people at a public reception which began immedl-
 
 Throughout his stay in the city the sec retary's every appearance on the street was the signal for cheers and enthusiasm.
 More than 500 men were gathered about the tables in the banquet room of liar monie hall to greet Secretary Taft, and several hundred more men and women were seated in the gallery. Former Uni IVY DoIr presided as toastmaster.
 People For Taft.
 Governor Warner while voicing the states welcome to the secretary, brought he declared that he was convinced that 80 to 90 per cent of the people of Michl- gan are for Taft's nomination for the presidency on the republican ticket. The governor then suggested Governor Guild for the nomination for vice president on the ticket with Secretary Taft. Ambassa- dor Jusserand was given laundering welcome when he was presented by Toast master Palmer for a short address. The ambassador after declaring that because of his position he naturally cannot meddle in American politics. eulogized the Amer lean Presidents of the past and present, and said that it was his wish and hope that the country when it elected another President would add another glorious name to the already glorious list of names.
 q do not know who he shall be-" said Ambassador Jusserand, "but it seems that you know" Applause interrupted him for several moments.
 Illegal Methods.
 Secretary Taft opened his address by remarking that a stranger might suspect the Michigan Retail Lumber Dealers as- sociation had more to do with politics than business. '.We have heard,'' he con- tinued "a great deal recently in connec- tion with the moral awakening from those methods which permit illegality and fraud" He spoke of the revelations Of the insurance investigation and of the evils of over-issues of stocks and bonds which, he said was obtaining money un- der false pretense. Taking up the ques- ton of railroad determinations and re- cent legislation to prevent relating, he said
 ''The truth is, gentlemen, that we have not quite enough regulation of railways. Other powers ought to be conferred upon the interstate commerce commission. It is said that the interstate commerce com mission is not safe way in which to control the railroads of the country. It Is the only way in which we can control them. We must see that we secure strong men to sit upon that commission, who can prove by their administration it is the proper way. It is that or go to government ownership with all the state socialism which 1t involves, and l have no doubt that government ownership of the railroads with the tremendous con- centration of power it would involve would endanger the republic. We have enough concentrated power in Washington now. To increase 1t so that the executive should control the enormous body of civil serv- ants. which would necessarily follow, would result in making President more powerful than any King who lives today.
 Enforcement of Law.
 q believe it is possible to enforce the present antitrust law, but we need new law more specific to bring all capital with in it's provisions. I think that today the violation or the law IS ny Ho lioaiS so fashionable as 1t was formerly.
 Now we are not going to have busl- ness millennium gentlemen, but we shall have quckened public conscience and an eye on whether we have business de- or have business conducted within the terms of the law. The people have walked up.
 We have just had a panic. Some Of the gentlemen who have felt the lash of public opinion have been only too glad to attribute 1t to the legislation to which have referred. The charge is unfounded. It Is due, if students of finance are to be trusted, to the gradual exhaustion of all the free capital of the world in enter prises which have not been so profitable as it was expected they would be. Now we must wait, the whole world must wait, until we earn more free capital.
 ..There is no doubt but that European investors in our securities have been frightened by the revelations of dshon- esty which have been shown of late in many of our large institutions. But IS the man who points out that dishonesty to be charged with this lack of confi- dence, or is it to be charged to the gentle men who engaged in the illegality? It is not necessary to argue"
 Secretary Taft left at o'clock for West Point, N Y., where he will tomor- row attend the graduation exercises at