Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-11
TAFT TARGET
FOR QUERIES;
GOOD DODGER
AUDIENCE FIRES QUESTIONS
AT SECRETARY
HE RALKS AT TARIFF AND THE
BROWNSVILLE AFFAIR
Candidate sidesteps ActiVeIy-sym-
pathlzes with Laborer Out of
Work, but Falls to sue-
gest Remedy
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Jan. 10.-For the first
time since he became a recognized can
didate for the Republican presidential
nomination, Secretary of War William
H. Taft tonight faced New York audi
ence and set forth In detail his stand on
the question of the relative interests and
rights of labor and capital, and in turn
submitted to a rapid-fire attack from the
audience, which quizzed him keenly and
in a somewhat controversial spirit, ac-
cording to the practice of the Peoples
Institute, whose guest he was.
In his prepared address the secretary
pointed out the dependence one upon the
other, of capital and labor. He declared
that great aggregations of wealth prop
erly employed widened the field of labor
and were to be welcomed, while wealth
improperly used was to be condemned
He advocated unionism in so far as sym
pathy and the resultant cooperation
made for the common good.
Questioned by Hearers
At the conclusion of his address the
audience had its turn. Chairman Charles
Sprague Smith announced Secretary Ialt
would read questions as they were
handed up.
The first questioner desired to know
if the secretary would stake his political
future on the attitude taken by the ac-
ministration on the Brownsville incident
Secretary Taft declined to answer that
question, stating that the matter was
now before the senate committee and
there had been no discussion in the
senate.
do you think a laborer gets enough
money! was the next question, to
which Secretary Taft laughingly replied;
Il don't know what the laborer gets
L don't know what labor he performs,
but l do know that some laborers get
more than they ought to have and
think some should get more
There was loud shout when the sec
retary commenced to laugh while reading
over a question which inquired why he
had changed his attitude toward labor
since he left the Ohio bench
The secretary declared that his attitude
had not changed and that the things he
had said tonight he had always stood by.
rs not an Industrial situation based on
a tariff false one?"
The secretary replied that if the tariff
were abolished now there would be no
business at all. Further, he said, he
would not discuss the tariff issue at this
time
A question concerning the right OF an
EMPLOYER to bring injunction proceedings
induced the secretary to cite a case In
which he appeared as counsel. Moores
&, Co had obtained a judgment of $lo0O
against a labor union, he said, and 1t
took ten years to obtain the money. Inc
secretary added that if an Injunction
had been obtained by Moores & Co. they
would not have suffered any damage.
shortly afterward humorously in
cIined auditor sent up the following ques-
ton, which sent up general laugh.
IF it took Moores & Co. ten years to
collect $500 how long will 1t take the
United States to collect &9OOO,OOO from
the Standard Oi. company
The secretary said the solution would
require an advanced form of mathematics
with which he was not familiar.
There was one query over which the
secretary hesitated, while his face as
sumed thoughtfully serious expression
Then he read;
"How About the Poor?'
"What is a man to do who is out OF
work in financial crisis and Is starV-
ing?'
There was an audible pause. Tho sec
retary looked to the far corners of the
big room and the long lines of workmeh
gathered there.
God knows" he replied. "They have
my deepest sympathy if they cannot get
work. 1t is an awful case when man
is willing to work and is put in TINS posi-
ton"
IL am asked" said the secretary, If
the government ownership of mines ana
railroads would make disputes between
labor and capital ensier to settle. doh
think so Do you realize what a power
you would put in Washington? You would
put a power in the hands of one man or
set of men that would well make you
esleremble for the safety of the republic
These and many other questions were
volleyed at the secretary, who answered
them with good humor, which reflected
itself in the attitude of his auditors. one
questioner wanted to know If workingmeh
were ready to WORK so hard for private
individuals why they would not be ready
to work as hard for the government un-
der federal ownership.
The secretary replied without hesita-
tioD: Because human nature is not built
along that line. 1t is not possible 10
carry on governments the same as bust
ness. because individuals work for pri-
vate gain. You cannot change the mo-
tive of enlightened selfishness into altru-
ism." q,
Secretary Taft indicated clearly that
he did not think the time hau come for
an income tax law.
Discusses Panic
MIR. Taft said in his address: I'VE are
suffering now from panic. 1t was
brought on, in my judgment by the ex-
haustion of free capital the world over,
by the lack of an elastic system OF cur
rency, and also by lack of confidence
in our business fabric produced In Europe
through the revelations in certain cor
porations of business dishonesty, corrup-
tion and unawfuness. 1t has been nec-
essary for us to purify some of our busi-
& ness methods. but the publication cannot
stop the panic. 1t will doubtless make
another in the far future less .ikely.
Meantime all must suffer. botl the
innocent and the guilty and the innocent