The Washington herald., 1908-03-04
SWEPT BY TAFT.
Continued from Page One.

possibility Of armed conflict. We must
be prepared. should such an emergency
arise. Ships. fortihcatons, guns, and.
most OF ALL trained men cannot be Gre
ated In a day.
4 The Republican party has dealt with
Industrial problems by the enactment of
legislation such as the antitrust law the
interstate commerce law. the rebate and
rate laws. the law creating the Bureau
OF Corporations. the laws Affecting labor,
such as the eight-hour and the employers
liability; the meat inspection. and pure
food laws
Our record viii be subjected TO the
/ most searching scrutiny and criticism. In
the coming campaign the Republican
party will be held 10 account not merely
for its conduct OF the ordinary affairs OF
! the government. but especially for the
great policies affecting our industrial life
which have been carried forward during
the present administration.
Corporations Controlled.
These policies have been the regulation
and control of corporations engaged in
interstate commerce; publicity in the af-
fairs Of such corporations; the doing
away with rebates and other transporta-
ton determinations TO favored shippers
the enforcement OF the laws against
trusts. monopoly. restraint Of trade, and
unfair competition; the recognition that.
in conflicts between labor and capital. the
happiness. health, and lives Of men and
women are more important than the mere
accumulation Of wealth; the protection
Of the public domain by stopping the I'M
lawful use or acquisition of public land.
and the creation Of national forests: the
preservation and conservation OF our nat
ural resources Of water. fuel. and timber,
| 20 the end that these resources shall not
be monopolized by special interests en-
joying special privileges. but shall be
/ held and used for the benefit Of all the
I people; the awakening Of a public Opin-
ion, which now demands that common
honesty shall be the rule in business as
in private life, and finally, the fair,
prompt and vigorous enforcement % law
! against all offenders. rega-.lcss OF the
political. social or business position
Carried Ont by Roosevelt.
These great Industrial policies have
been inaugurated and carried out under
the leadership OF President Roosevelt.
It IS indeed fortunate that we have
had such President during these criti-
cal years.
His personal association with all sorts
and conditions of men, his intimate
knowledge of the history ana condition OF
all parts of our country. his political
training, his grasp of the fundamental
principles Of government, his recognition
OF the obligations of citizens in private,
commercial, and public life; his fairness,
vigor and courage; his optimistic belief
in the destiny of our people. and his
keen insight into the needs and posi-
bilities OF the future: all these combined
have made him the great and successful
leader of a great and successful party
THESE qualities of heart and mind
mace him appreciate that the commercial
/ spirit of the country was. IN certain
respects. leading it far astray. that in
the race for greater wealth and greater
| industrial power. men were losing sight
Of the real underlying purposes Of life:
that unregulated. unrestricted corporate
wealth and power threatened the destruc-
ton Of republican form of government;
and that the only ultimate safety for
those who owned and controlled great
properties. as well as those (the larger
number) who own and control but little.
| could only be assured If obedience 10
law. regulation. and restriction of cor
porate power and the subordination of
special privilege 20 the public good were
recognized and enforced
Are Policies GOOdf
In this campaign the all-absorbing
issue is-shaI these policies be approved
and continued. Among our opponents
there are the two extremes: those who
say we have gone too far. and those
] rrrf,r n.
/ former attribute the financial crisis
through which we have passed, and its
resulting business depression to the Pres
! ident's policies. and they appeal TO the
! personal interest of those who have felt
the loss Of money and property as well
as those who are temporarily unem-
ployed: We ask them to specify where the
! government has taken unfair, unwise,
| or extreme action which can Justly be
held as the cause for the panic, and We
have yet 20 hear their answer. They
object to the exposure, and decry those
who have made the exposure. They are
unwilling TO admit that trouble came be-
cause of the wrong and the evil that
was exposed
Transportation companies and favored
shippers have been found guilty Of grant
ing and receiving rebates and discrimina-
| tons. Officers of corporations engaged
in interstate commerce have mlsused the
| powers and funds Of the corporations:
have by means of stock jobbing and
stock watering transactions imposed upon
the public, as we'll as upon the stock
| holders. for whom they are, in fact, trus-
| tees The public has been defrauded out
of its property and rights, upon the
public domain Such facts have beeSl
exposed. and the offenders brought TO the
bar of justice
Public Confidence shaken.
ut is certainly true that public conf
dence has been shaken by reasons of
these disclosures. and. necessarily. Iesiti-
mate business has suffered TO some e,-
tent. but such loss and suffering was
necessary in order to root out the evils
that were sapping our industrial life For
tunate. indeed. are we that the exposure
came when it did. 1t was well that the
country was awakened to the imminent
| danger in which We stood. Exposure OF
wrongs has cleared the air, and legitimate
business is to-day stronger and better
than ever before.
THE great majority of our laboring
and business men are honest and the in
! tereSts they represent are fairly con-
Quoted, but that does not excuse us for
falling to expose and punish the wrong
doer wherever found: he cannot be shield
ed nor hardened for foor oF