Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-09-14

honest mechanic or small trader, or
man of small means, can feel that in
a peculiar sense Mr.. Taft will be his
representative 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 personal violence from a
mob with the unquailing and lofty in
difference with which he would front
the bitter anger of the wealthiest and
most powerful corporations. Broad
| though his sympathies are, there is in
| him not the slightest tlnge of weak
| ness No consideration of personal
interest, any more than of fear for his
| personal safety, could make him
swerve a hairs breadth from the
| course which he regards as right and
in the interest of the whole people.
1 have naturally a peculiar interest
| in the success of Mr.. Taft, and in
seeing him backed by a majority in
both houses of Congress, which will
heartily support his policies. For the
last ten years, while l have been gov
| ernor of New York and president, l
| have been thrown into the closest in
| timacy with him, and he and have
on every essential point stood in
| heartiest agreement, shoulder to
shoulder. We have the same views as
| to what is demanded by the national
interest and honor, both within our
own borders, and as regards the re-
lations of this nation with other ma
tlons. There is no fight for decency
and fair dealing which l have waged
in which l have not had his heartiest
and most effective sympathy and sup
port, and the policies for which
stand are his policies as much as
mind.
1t is not possible in the space of
this letter to discuss all the many and
infinitely varied questions of moment
with which Mr.. TAFT as president
would have to deal; let him be judged
by what he has himself done, and by
what the administration, in which he
has played SO conspicuous a part, has
done. But to illustrate just what his
attitude is, let me touch on two mat
ters now prominent in the public
mnid.
Mr.. Taft can be trusted to exact
justice from the railroads for the very
| reason that ne can be trusted to do
justice to the railroads. The railroads
are the chief instruments of interstate
commerce in the country, and they
cam neither be held to a proper ac-
countability 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 fouT-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 thorough-going. 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
exercise of powers granted them on
behalf of the people, and which.
therefore, should be held to a peculiar
accountability to the people. II is in
the interest of the people that they
should not be permitted to do injus-
| tice; and it is no less to the interest
OF the people that they should not
suffer injustice. Their prime purpose
! is to carry the comm odites of the
farmers and the business men; they
M he "a
contributed to them by their share
holders; they could not be run at all
save for the money paid out in wages
to the railroad employees; and, finally,
thoy could not be run judiciously, or
profitably to any one, were it not for
| the employment by them of some
masterful guiding intelligence, wheth-
er of one man or of a group of men.
There are therefore several sets Of
interests to be considered. Each must
receive proper consideration, and
when any one of them seldshly de-
mands exclusive. consideration the de-
mand must be refused. Along certain
lines all of these groups have the
same interests. 1t is to the interest
of shipper, farmer, wage worker. Ousi-
ness man, shareholder and honest
manager alike that there should be
economy, honesty, intelligence and
I fair treatment of all To put an ef-
rective stop to stock watering would
. be a benefit to everybody except the
swindlers who profit by stock water
ing; ii would benefit the honest share
holder because honest investments
would not be brought into competition
with mere paper; it would benefit the
wage-N worker because when the money
earned does not have to go to paying
interest on watered capital, more of
1t is left, out Of which to pay wages;
lit would benefit the shipper because
when only honest stockholders have
to oe paid interest rates need not be
Improperly raised; it would benefit
the public because there would be
ample money with which to give eff
cient service. Similarly, the preven-
ton of favoritism as among shippers
does no damage to any one who is
honest, and confcrs great good upon
the smaller business man and the