The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-29
SAYsPRE.S:||'.D.|.EN'|T
LED MOVEMENT
FOR REAL. REFORM.
1t Was He Who Fornu-
lated the Expression Of
the Popular Con
science.

CINCINNATI. July 2s.-Hon. William
Howard Taft, notified to-day OF nj
Il nomination as the Republican candi
date for PresidelN. indicated his &C
ceptnnce, and In speech OF som
length discussed the position OF the
h party on the Issues OF the campaign
I, Senator Ser Warner and Gentlemen Of tht
.e Committee:
81 am deeply sensible of the honor
which the Republican National Con
vent,on has conferred on me IN 5he
nomination which you formally tenoei
! accept it with full appreciation OF
the responsibility It imposes.
Gentlemen, the strength OF the Re.
publican cause in the campaign at hand
:. IS in the fact that we represent the
policies essential to the reform OF
/ liberty and true prosperity, and that
s we are determined, as our platform
unequivocally declares. to maintain
them and carry them on. For more
through an epoch of material develop
y ment far beyond any that ever occur
i red In the world before. In Its course,
certain evils crept in. Some prominent
and influential members OF the com.
and In their hurry for greater wealth,
3 became unmindful Of the common rules
OF business honesty and fidelity and OF
4 the Limitations imposed by law upon
their action. This became known.
the disclosures as to rebates and dis
Z .criminations by railways, the accu.
mulating evidence of the violation Oh
the antitrust law by number OF cor,
!. bonds on interstate railways for the
unlawful enriching of directors ana
FOR the purpose Of concentrating con-
troll of railways In one MANAGEMENT.
all quickened the conscience OF TIE
people, and brought on moral awak-
ening among them that boded we'll for
the future OF the country.
What Roosevelt Has Done.
The man who formulated the express
sion OF the popular conscience and who
led the movement for practical REFORM
was Theodore Roosevelt. He laid
down the doctrine that the rich VIOLA
tor of the law should be as amenaole
to restraint and punishment as the
offender without wealth and without
influence, and he proceeded by recon.
mending legislation and directing exc
cutive action to make that principle
good In actual performance. He Sc
cured the passage OF the so-called rate
bill. designed more effectively to re.
5 strain excessive and fix reasonable
rates. and to punish secret rebates ana
tOlScriNlindllOnSg winch fldd TNDeeuz 6Sh.
eral in the practice of the railroads,
s and which had done much to enable un-
4 lawful trusts to drive out Of business
their competitors. 1t secured much
closer supervision OF railway transact
lions and brought within the operation
] of the same statute express companies,
sleeping car companies. fast freight
4 and refrigerator lines, terminal rail-
. roads and pipe lines. and forbade IN
4 future the combination of the trans
IT y, Sv%v,j v,rv Inn a
!. one control In order to avoid undue
discrimination.
: President Roosevelt directed suits to
be brought and prosecutions. to he IN
!. stituted under the antitrust law. to en-
z force its provisions against the most
8 powerful OF the industrial corpora
tons. He pressed to passage the pure
D food lawaand the meat inspection law
SIN the interest OF the health OF the
Z public, clean business methods and
Z themselves He recommended5th the pass
Il age OF a law, which the Republican
4 convention has since specifically ap-
a proved, restricting the future issue OF
3 stocks and, bonds by. Interstate rail-
\ ways to such as may be authorized by
4 federal authority, He demonstrated to
r the people by what he said by what he
Recommended to. Congress, and by what
n lie did, the sincerity of his efforts to
command respect for the law, to Sc
cure equality of all before the law. and
seto save the country from the dangers
aEof plutocratlc government, toward
~ which we We're fast tending. In this
work Mr.. Roosevelt has had the sup
y party. and Its chief hope OF success In
Y the present controversy must rest on
Z the confidence which the people OF the
country have In the sincerity of the
party's declaration in Its platform, that
I. 1t intends to continue his policies.
ID Nc
! Mr.. Roosevelt has set high the stand
ence to law. The railroad rate bill
was 1sore useful possibly In the i'm
mediate moral effect Of its passage
than even in4the legal effect OF its very
! useful provisions. From Its enactmen,
dates the voluntary abandonment OF
the practice Of rebates and dlscrimi.
1 nations by the railroads and the re.
turn by their managers to .obediencf
. TO law in the fixing Of tariffs. The
!. and the prosecutions directed by the
= President under the antitrust law
y have had similar moral effect in the
IN general business community and have
s made it now the common practice fol
IA the great Industrial corporations tt
=, consult the law with a View to keeping
e within Its provisions. 1t has also hae
the effect Of protecting and encourag
Ing smaller competitive companies 81
Tia tuSS nave Decn eIldDleQg 10 10 {
profitable business.
But we should be blind to the ordi
& nary working OF human nature II w,
St did not recognize that the moral stand
I ards set by President Roosevelt will
not continue to be observed by thos,
lit2 whom cupidity and a desire for finan
q ctal power may tempt, unless the requi
site, machinery is introduced into tn,
~ law which shall in its practical opera
RI tion maintain these standards and Sc
Il cure the country against a departur,
AZ from them.
FunctIonsof Next Administration.
The chief function OF the next ad
IS ADMINISTRATION. In my Judgment, is dis
4 tinct from and progressive develop
y nent OF that which has been performe
e by President Roosevelt. The chic
81 Junction OF the next administration. 4
" 10 complete and perfect the machin
~ cry by which these standards may b
maintained, by which the lawbreaker
may be promptly restrained and pun
ished. but which shall operate wit
II sufficient accuracy and dispatch to In
I'll terfere with legitimate business as II,
y tie az possible. Such machinery is nc
now adequate. Under the present rat
bill. and under all Its amendments, tn
II burden OF the Interstate Commerc
r. Commission in supervising and reg,
lating the operation OF the railroad
PIT this country: has grown 80 heav