Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19
Taft Wants No Contributions
From Corporations.
HE WILL OBEY ALL LAWS
Republican Nominee Scouts Idea of
Labor Opposition.
VOTE COULD NOT BE THROWN
Considers Prohibition Question Not
National Issue, and Denies
Expression of Opposition.

HOT SPRINGS, Va, July 1S.-Thc re-
publican national committee will accept
no contributions from corporations, said
Judge William II. Taft, presidential can
didate of the republican party today. In
an interview he also referred to labor,
prohibition and other questions.
Mr.. Taft said that not only would the
law of New York state providing for
the publicity of campaign contributions
he obeyed by the republican national
committee, but the federal law prohb-
iting such contributions by corporations
in connection with the election of Presi-
dent. Vice President representatives or
senators would be followed without re-
gard to any question of validity that
might arise in respect to any provisions
of that law.
Will Obey Law as Passed.
Answering questions as to the applica-
ton Of the national law regarding contri-
buttons for the election of presidential
electors, Mr.. Taft declared that the law
would be obeyed exactly as it was passed
by Congress.
AS to the right of a labor leader to at
tempt to influence the votes of members
of the organization of which he is at the
head. Mr.. Taft at first laughingly said
that was a question Of propriety upon
which he was not sufficiently informed to
discuss 1t.
When asked as to his idea of the power
of the leader of a labor organization to
throw its vote to one party or another he
declared that. in his opinion, it could be
predicated that there is no so-called class
of the American electorate whose votes
could be delivered by its leaders.
He said that after eliminating mem
bers OF both political parties from q
labor organization the expression of a
leader might indicate how the remain
ing uncertain quantity might vote in
the election, but he declared that just
az Is the case generally in dealing with
any so-called class of citizens. before
expression could be given of the nature
OF their vote it would be necessary to
eliminate all members of one or the
other Of the political parties.
The question calling forth this state
ment referred to President Samuel
Gompers Of the American Federation of
any personal reference to Mr.. Gompers
or any other leader Of organized labor.
No New Trust-Busting Theory.
Asked whether he would have any
new remedy to offer for the so-called
trust problem in his speech of accept
ance. he replied that he did not know of
anything new that he could add to a
question that had been So widely dis
cussed. and stated that he would have
nothing to say on that matter outside
of what he had said various times In
his public utterances
Mr., Taft's attention was called today
to assertions of some journals repre-
senting the liquor interests that he is
opposed to prohibition. He explained
that he had never publicly discussed
the ethical side Of prohibition. He took
had done, that the prohibition issue
was not involved in the national cam
paiKn.
From what had come to his attention
in respect to the representations Of these
journals he inferred that they had based
their statements on speeches he had made
in which he critised the action of some
state Legislatures In passing prohibition
and other laws without providing the ma
chinery for enforcing them.
Frank B. Kellogg. who had charge Of
tho prosecution of corporations for vio-
1ations of the Sherman antitrust law for
the Department Of Justice, will return
here Monday to further discuss with Mr..
Taft the features Of his speech in relation
to the regulation of the so-called trusts
Arthur /. Vorys Of Ohio left for home
tonight. Senator Bourne, who arrived
here late last night, did not see Mr.. Taft
today.
giec club from Lynchburg. Va, sere-
naded Judge Taft tonight. Later Judge
and Mrs. Taft joined in a waltz. When
an old lady in the audience began ap-
piauding they left the ballroom with evil
dent embarrassment.