The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-28
Candidate Addresses Crowds In
 DOunpOur of Rain
SPEAKS ON LABOR ISSUES
Many Workers In the Industrial Plants of Schenectady, Workers and Troy Listen to the Arguments
 Made to the Voters.

Troy, N Y, October 27.-The indus tries of the cities and towns which line the banks of the picturesque Hudson from Greater New York to Troy were made the text for the speeches of William H. Taft today to the people of these cities and towns. Yonkers smiled on the big form of the Ohioan through a heavy shower He talked at length to as many as could get into the largest theatre, and then addressed those who had stood wait ing in the rain, whose number was even greater.
 Mir Bryan spoke in Yonkers yesterday, and saying he understood his distinguished opponent had charged that the repub- lican party had done nothing for labor MT Taft first asserted that the policies of the republican party had been chiefly devoted to the interests of labor and then pointed out that the protective policy made possible the sugar refining industry, the chief enterprise of the city.
 Certainly, MT Bryan was a bold man to advocate such views in town like Yonkers," continued Mir. Taft. which I believe Is one of the greatest manu- featuring towns in proportion to it's size in the state of New York, and is de- pendent upon the protective system"
 Word for Sugar Trust. As a sample, MT. Taft said, of the l utterly impractical or destructive charac- ter of MT. Bryans recommendations with reference to economic reforms" he would cite what MT. Bryan would do with the Yonkers' sugar refinery, assuming for ar l gument that the refinery was in 8 truHt. Mr Taft said:
 1 s'He would take off the differential on sugar. that protection which is necessary to enable us to have any sugar refneries in this country. It would cause the es- | tablishment Of refineries in Germany, and all of your population here dependent on this refinery would be aaected and not only would 1t destroy the trust, but with it, the independent refineries.
 "The republican party is just as much opposed to monopoly as the dem ocratic party" announced MT. Taft later. "It passed and enforced the anti trust law. It believes in going directly at the evil of monopoly by punishing men for continuing it, rather than by destroying the industries and the great combinations of capital that have much utility, and are of such benefit to the wage-earners. It be- lieves in stamping out the evil and not stamping out the corporation" Listening In the Rain. Tarrytown, Peekskill and Fishkill l Landing listened in the rain to short l speeches delivered by the candidate | from the rear of his car. The damp ness did not seem to dull the ardor of l the citizens. When the Taft special | reached Poughkeepsie at 1 o'clock, the l rain had just ceased and the sun came | out brightly. He was driven up town to the Collingwood opera house, which was crowded to the very doors. Judge Taft got inside with much difficulty, i after which the doors were closed on l most of the members of his party. in l cluding Job Hedges, who was to help the candidate in the speaking. Turning l to the big crowd outside, MT. Hedges employed his time in optimistic predie- l tions as to what such enthusiasm would result in one week from today, l A class of girls from Vassar college tried to "get" Judge Taft's speech in l shorthand. and an enthusiast in the gallery attracted brief attention by l shouting: "I1e surely wears the smile | that wont come off.
 Tt will still be there next Tuesday, l reioined Judge Taft and in his hope the audience seemed to concur Here the republican candidate reverted to MT. Bryan's issue Shall the People Ruler"
 Shall the People Rule? has strained" he declared. The truth is that the proposition that the people had not ruled up to this date met with so an issue"
 Second Speech.
 Mr. Taft was so much in demand by ba iy,,Y,a xxy1 Si1 1p aa tra when he emerged that he made sec ond speech from the steps of the repub- lican headquarters building. Anothe CT brief speech was made at Hudson, after which the special ran to Schenectady where nearly three hours were occupied by the candidate in the delivery of three speeches. all of them predominant with the labor issues. Ths employees of the American Locomotive works were spoken to first, and re- ceived the candidate with much show of enthusiasm.
 "Schnectady contains more organized or union men than any town in the country for its size" declared Mir. Taft. and he then proceeded to inform his hearers Of his own labor record. of the labor legisla- ton which the republican party had en- acted, as compared with the "blank' rec ord of the democratic party
 The shops of the general electric works were next visited and from stand the thousands of workers were told in detail the Taft position on labor from the time the candidate was. judge on the bench during his administration in the Philip pines. as Secretary of War, in charge of the Panama canal, and present promise of interest.
 The third meeting here was to an au- dience which packed the Van Curler the atre and here again Judge Taft reverted to a discussion of the labor situation as well as bringing to the fore the general prosperity issue. which. he declared, con- fronted the voters of the country.
 Special Is Delayed.
 faulty engine delayed the Taft special so that it was nearly 10 o'clock before It reached Cohoes, where a monster meeting was addressed. The interests of labor