The sun., 1908-01-11
TAFT ON LABOR AND CAPITAL
TELLS PEOPLES INSTITUTE TIE
TNJUNCTEONNEED CHANGING.


INJUNCTION NEEDS CHANGING.
Shouldn't Ne FIX PArte and Unions should
Appeal and EnJOln blacklist Too
strikes Right At Times-EnOugh Power
Now IN WAShlngtOn-Great Reception.
Secretary Of War William II. Taft came
TO town yesterday and passed lively
evening at Cooper Union, where he made a
speech on labor and Capital and after
ward put In thres-quArters OF an hour
in a rough and tumble question and answer
contest with the members Of his audience.
The speech was delivered before the
members Of the People 3 Forum. conducted
by the Peoples Institute. and the Secre-
tary's reception was most enthusiastic.
Whenit was all over there was such rush
.sCE tAes nlattOrU. 10 Sbske Mr. .gaft's hand
that for a few moments IL looked as IL some
body would be hurt. Several policemen
ran to the platform and soon had things
Strengthened out.
Neither Mr.. Taft's speech nor his answers
TO questions shed very much light on a good
many of the subjects in which the public
is interested, but there is no doubt that
the Secretary scored heavily with his audi
ence from the very first
He gave many reasons willy labor and
capital should cooperate. declared that
there were times when a strike was labor's
only effective and legitimate weapon,
averred that the manufacturer who
wouldn't deal with organized labor was
practically behind the times and asserted
that the blacklist was equally wrong and
cruel with the boycott.
The Secretary put himself on record as
believing that the injunction should be so
safeguarded that, in labor cases at least,
no restraining order should issue until
after notice and hearing had been given
He even said that, since some distrllst ex-
listed in the minds OF laboring men OF judges
who sat at hearings in injunCtions issued by
themselves, it might be well to allow de-
PENDANTS in injunction cases to have the
privilege of demanding that the hearings
be held before other judges
He furthermore feared that compulsory
arbitration was too much like involuntary
servitude to be constitutional. But perhaps
the most significant observation that fell
from his lips all the evening long was his
reply to an inquirer who wanted to know
il he didn't think Government ownership
OF mines and railroads would make easier
the settlement Of labor disputes. He said
he did not think so and then he added:
Have you ever thought OF the tremsn-
dous power that Won put in the hands OF a
few men in Washington at present? Lord
knows there's enough power there now.
but if you put still more power in the hands
OF one man or small group OF men you
will create a force that may well make you
tremble for the future OF your republic"
COOPER UNION JAMMED EARLY
Cooper Union was iammed TO the doors
with hundreds standing up before the
hour Of !. Outside long lines were still
waiting, in the vain hope Of obtaining
entrance. Mr.. Taft did not arrive at the
hall until ten minutes after 8 o'clock. He
drove to the Fourth avenue entrance,
accompanied by his brother, Henry ".
Taft. and members Of the latter's family.
just before he got into the hall fat man
walked across the rear of the platform,
and his action extracted an anticipatory
cheer for the Secretary When Mr. Taft
himself appeared there was an uprOar
that lasted for fully minute.
Among those who had seats on the plat
form were Robert W. de Forest, the Rev.
DR.. John p. Peters. Supt. William r. Max
well, V. Everit Macy, William M. Ivins.
Henry De Forest Baldwin. James Speypr.
Henry Clews, Howard Mansfield, James B.
Reynolds. Clarence II Kelsey, Edward
X. Hewitt. Otto C. Barnard, James r.
Sheffield, Walter Jennings. F. II. Masters.
}. As9inwall Hodge. Marcus Braun aai
Sherman Evarts
CHEERS "FoR THE NEXT PRESIDENT
Charles Sprague Smith started in at once
on the introduction, and while ne was speak
ing the huge Secretary sat quietly on a
plain wooden chair, which modest structure
he overlapped like the plumage on a char
lotte russe. Prof. Smith said a lot Of things
about MIR. Taft and wound up by introduce
ing him as the Secretary Of the Navy. There
was big howl at this, and shouts Of "Sec-
retary Of War and Secretary Of Peace"
went up all over the house. mingled with
many cries of Three cheers for the next
President"
Mr.. Taft took it all good naturedly and
flashed his searchlight smile over the
crowded house until il had quieted down
a bit. Then he said that Prof. Smiths
method Of introducing him reminded him
Of a story the President had told him about
a celebrated politician who was once tour
ing tho West. Once when this politician
the man who was presenting him spoke
about as follows:
MY friends. have now the great honor
Of introducing 20 you a man who is known
to you ALL an eminent man whose record il a
household word. IL gives me great pleasure,
] say, TO introduce to you Mr.-er-Mr-er
turning TO the eminent poltician)-what the
devil is your name. anyway"
This put the Secretary on the most genial
terms with his audience at the very start,
and they listened to his formal talk with the
closest attention. II was a straightaway.
hard headed talk, delivered with the utmost
clearness and directness, without the slight
est effort at oratorical effect II was all
carefully typewritten and the Secretary
read every word Of IT, Il took him about
fifty minutes TO read it
Secretary TaTtS Address.
Secretary Taft's theme. as he announced
it. was labor and capital. their common
interest, their necessary controversies,
their lawful acts and the legal remedies
for their abuses We can hardly conceive,
he said, Of personal liberty without private
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