New-York tribune., 1908-02-16
MIR. TAFT ON POLICIES
PRAISES THE PRESIDENT.
One of Creates. Peace Erponents an
World's History, He Says.

Hartford Conn, Feb 15-Secretary Taft
played dual role in the course OF his visit to
Hartford this afternoon and evening At
o'clock, few moments after he reached the
city. he addressed big gathering at Footsuard
Hall. and later in the evening was the guest or
honor at the annual dinner of the Hartford
Yale Alumni Association
At both gatherings he received rousing well
come In his Footgrard Hall speech the policies
of President Mckinley end President Roosevelt.
with some newer issues. formed the basis of
his address Secretary Taft indorsed all OF the
bigger issues of these administrations, includ-
ing expansion on which he spoke somewhat at
length.
He also discussed emphatieay the relations of
capital and labor saying that if capital found
it desirable to organize for the protection OF
its interests labor had equal right to do the
same, always remembering that violations OF
law by labor would be punished just as severely
and certainly the misdeeds of capital He
also discussed the Panama Canal, predicting its
completion in five years.
Secretary Taft referred to the policies likely
to characterize the Presidential campaign. and
placed them under two heads-the policies of
the Mckinley administration and the policies OF
the Roosevelt administration. The policies OF
the former he said might be PLACED under the
term expansion which policies did not cease
when President Roosevelt began his administra-
ton.
He said that the Democrats predicted that Il
Roosevelt were elected the country would be in
volved in more wars than before. but in
stead President Roosevelt instrumental in
stopping of the biggest wars in recent years.
He characterized him as of the greatest
exponents of peace in the worlds history In
discussing railroad measures and the legislation
enacted regarding them, Secretary Taft said
that railroad presidents down deep In their Sc
cret hearts were glad at what had happened.
because they were able to hold up their
heads, something some of them could not do be-
fore.
An interruption occurred at this time, when a
man in the audience asked about the S29, ,OO0,cOO
fine against the Standard Oil Company, but the
speaker turned it off with anecdote.
Secretary Taft then took up the labor union
proposition and conceded the right of the work.
ingman to organize for his protection. He
said that on all but one point-the question Of
wages-the laboring man and capitalist
practically agreed Both know that it was nec-
essary to have capital and that capital should
have suita BILE return but there would always
be conflict the matter of wages.
Secretary Taft referred to the abuse practised
by fiduciary corporations by which funds were
diverted from the ward to the trustee The dis
closures he added, shook the public There was
a great moral awakening all over the country.
He alluded to and praised the employers liza
bility bill
The Alumni banquet at the Allyn House
attended by two hundred sons of Yale. Secre-
tary Taft was the last speaker of the evening.
He was heartily greeted. In the course of his
remarks he said:
In this day going through a moral
awakening I believe which represents in a sort
of way the spirit of Yale. Certainly it is A
movement that needs the conservative and
progressive spirit of Yale to control it for the
benefit of the country. We do not want social
ism; do want those theories that do
away with the guarantee of life, liberty and
property our fathers handed them down to
from the Revolution. But do want the
men who handle property and handle capital to
observe the laws of their country and to be
stricted in their use of the means that the law
offers them that they shall not attempt to
make themselves a privileged class. And them
again, do not want to follow the dema gogue
in his denunciation of the rights of property.
Colonel n. G.. Osborn. of New Haven; the
Rev. Anson Phelps Stokes, jT secretary of
Yale: Hart Lyman and Charles Hopkins Clark
were the other speakers.
Mr. Taft will speak in New Haven Mon
day.