The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1908-09-14

/ Wealtn, the man VINO SWtndleS or robs
his fellows, would not SO much as
dare to. defend his evil-doing in Mr..
Taft's presence. The honest wage
worker, the honest laboring man. the
honest farmer, the honest mechanic
or small trader, or man of small
means, can feel that in a peculiar
sense Mr.. Taft will be his representa-
tive because of the very fact that he
has the same scorn for the demagogue
that he has for the corruptionist, and
that he would front threats of person.
al violence from mob with the un-
quailing and lofty Indifference with
which he would front the bitter anger
of the wealthiest and most powerful
corporations. Broad though his SYM
pathies are, there is in him not the
slightest tinge Of weakness. No con-
sideration of personal interest, any
more than Of fear for his personal
safety, could make him swerve q
hairs breath from the course which
he regards as right and in the inter-
est OF the whole people.
A Peculiar Interest.
II have naturally peculiar inter-
est In the success of Mr. Taft, and in
seeing him backed by majority in
both houses Of congress which will
heartily support his policies For the
last ten years, while have been gov
ernor sof New York and president,
have been thrown into the closest
intimacy with him, and he and l have
on every essential point stood in
heartiest agreement, shoulder to
shoulder. We have the same views
as to what is demanded by the ma
tonal interest and honor, both within
our own borders, and as regards the
relations of this nation with other
nations. There is no fight for decency
and fair dealing which have waged
in which have not had his heartiest
and most effective sympathy and sup
port, and the policies for which.
stand are his policies as much as
NINE
ut is not possible in the space of
this letter to discuss all the many and
infinitely varied questions of mo-
ment with which Mr.. Taft as president
would have to deal; le. him be judged
by what he has himself done, and by
what the administration, in which he
has played 80 conspicuous part, has
dcne. But to illustrate just what his
attitude is, let me touch on two mat
ters now prominent in the public
mind.
Taft's Work.
'Mr. Taft can be trusted to exact
justice from the railroads for the very
reason that he can be trusted to do
justice to the railroads. The railroads
are the chief instruments of inter-
state commerce in the country, and
they can neither be held to a proper
accountability on the one hand nor
given proper protection on the other,
save by the affirmative action of the
federal government. The law as laid
down by the federal courts clearly
shows that the states have not and
cannot devise laws adequate to meet
the problems caused by the great
growth of the railroads doing an in
terstate commerce business, for more
than four-fifths of the business of the
railroads is interstate, and under the
constitution of the United States only
the federal government can exercise
control thereover. 1t is absolutely
necessary that this control should be
affirmative and thoroughgoing. All
interstate business carried on by the
great corporations should, in the in
terest of the whole people, be far
more closely supervised than at pres
ent by the national government; but
this is especially true of the railroads,
which cannot exist at all save by the
| aYor0fSa NJ r0Woro nfod <horo m
behalf of the people, and which, there
fore, should be held to a peculiar ac-
countgbility to the people. 1t is in the
interest of the people that they should
not be permitted to do injustice; and
It is no less to the interest of the
people that they should not suffer in
justice. Their prime purpose is to
carry the commodities of the farmers
and the bushes men; they could not
be built save for the money contribu-
ted to them by their shareholders;
| they could not be run at all save for
the money paid cut in wages to the
railroad employees; and, finally, they
could not be run judiciously, or profit
ably to any one, were it not for the
employment by them of some MASTER
full guiding intelligence, whether of
one man or of group Of men. There
are therefore several sets of interest
to be considered. Each must receive
proper consideration, and when any
one of them selfishly demands exclu-
sive consideration the demand must
be refused. Along certain lines all of
these groups have the same interest.
It Is to the interest of shipper, farm
er, wage-worker, business man, hon
est shareholder and honest manager
alike that there should be economy,
honesty, intelligence. and fair treat
ment Of all. To put an effective stop
to stock watering would be a benefit
to everybody except the swindlers