Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-02-11
GENERAL DEFENSE OF PARTY
Abraham Lincoln is Eulogized as a
Successful Party Man.
POLICIES OF THE PRESIDENT
Public Sentiment Awakening to Ex-
tent of Corporate Law Breakin.
GREATEST ISSUE OF THE HOUR
IL Must he Met COurageOusIy and Eff
fectively. or We Must Yield 10
New Regime ON Social
istic Basis.

tsttc Basis.
! KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Feb. lO-willam IL
TAFT, secretary of war. was given a memoir
| able ovation by $1,000 people In Convention
hail tonight when he was the guest of
honor and principal speaker at the most
elaborate banquet ever attempted in thG
city, given by the Association of Young
Republicans of Missouri and attended by
LOO persons. many of whom came from
Nebraska, Kansas Oklahoma and distant
Missouri cities. The demonstration accorded
Secretary Taft when he entered the great
banquet hall, and again when he rose to
speak, has never been surpassed by the
welcome given any public man in the his
| tory of this city. Each OF the LOO BAN
| queters paid $3.50 for the privilege OF ct
| tending, but the balconies OF the hall were
! free to the public, and long before the
speaking began standing room in the hall
was at premium. Secretary Tafts speech
was general defense of the republican
party and especially of the policies brought
to the fore by the administration of Theo-
/ dore Roosevelt. In eulogizing Lincoln, the
speaker said that Lincoln was a party man,
"as all men must be who expect to leave
their individual impress upon the political
character of the nation
Comment ON Pants.
! Speaking OF the recent panic and the
presidents late special message to con-
gress. the secretary said
THE message contains an answer to the
charges made that the administration is
| responsible for the Industrial depression
and the sharpness and emphasis with which
this unfounded attack Is met have heart
ened the great body of the people as a
bugle call to renewed support of the poll
cies of the administration.
Secretary Taft referred to abuses prac-
ticed by corporations and declared that a
conviction had seized the people that there
were many engaged in the management of
corporate wealth who regarded the statutes
! as dead letters. and themselves as a
privileged class I'VE were passing into a
regime of an irresponsible plutocracy," he
said. During the last four years there
has been great moral awakening to
this danger among tho people and a popu-
lar demand that the law breakers-no mat
ter how wealthy or how high or powerful
their positlon-shall be made to suffer
Under the leadership of Theodore Roose-
welt, the republican party has not faltered
in its determination to meet the require
ments of this situation, and to enact such
legislation as may be necessary to bring
to close this period of nlegltimate cor
porate immunity"
Party Behind President.
There are those who have been MEM
bers of the republican party who differ
from Mr.. Roosevelt in respect to the proper
course he has taken in stamping out
these abuses of corporate wealth. The
great bulk of the republican party, how
ever, stands solidly at his back in the work
which he and the representatives of the
party in congress are doing"
G,nr ~, "a
and of President Roosevelt's special meg
sage to congress. "The message contains
an answer to the charges made that the
administration is responsible for the In.
dustrial depression which has followed
said the secretary, "and the sharpness and
emphasis with which this unfounded attack
Is met have heartened the great body OF
the people as by bugle call to renewed
support Of the policies of the admInistra-
tion.
From beginning to end the messag.
shows his earnest desire to protect the
honest business man and the honest
laborer, and to secure to them the pos
sibility of living under the equal admin
istration Of the law"
Vigorous Action Necessary.
In concluding, Secretary Taft said:
Vigorous action and measures to stamp
out existing abuses and effect reforms
are necessary to vindicate society as al
present constituted Otherwise, we must
yield to those who seek TO Introduce
new order of things on a soclalistic basis.
The republican party follows the adj
ministration upon this social and moral
reform-approves its attitude in favor OF .
vested rights. of maintaining the powers
of the courts, of rendering more equal by
legislation the basis of dealing between
employer and employe, Of strengthening
the regulative power over railroads and
other interstate corporations and Of pro.
scouting those law-breakers who continue
to defy public opinion. Roosevelt leads
his party as Lincoln led his-as MCKINLEY
led his-to meet the new issues presented,
to arm our present civilization, and fit
II with a bold front TO resist the at
tacks of socialism, and TO transmit to tho
coming generations unharmed the great
Institutions of civil liberty inherited from
our fathers"
Mayor Henry NJ. Beardsley delivered the
address Of welcome and E. e. E. McJim-
sey, editor of the Springfield. Mo-, Re
publican, acted as postmaster
Herbert s. Hadley, attorney general OF
Missouri, responded to the toast I'VE
Have put Our Hand to the Plow"
Judge Sheldon p, Spencer Of St. Louis
spoke on the Republican Party"
Cbhel wen Known MlbsOuflans delivered
short addresses.
Secretary Taft arrived by way OF Ct
Louis. accompanied by Walter g. Dickey,
chairman Of the Missouri republican COM
mittee and half a hundred other republl-
cans from St. Louis. Kansas City and other
Missouri cities. Breakfast was served at
the Midland hotel. Then began a set of
conference with republican committeeman
from several nearby states who had come
here to talk over with the secretary party
conditions in their districts.
Victor Rosewater, editor OF the The
Omaha Bee, and William Hayward, chair
man Of the Nebraska state central COM
mittee, were among the first to be closeted
with Mr.. Taft Later he received dele
cations from Kansas. Oklahoma and Texas
Visitor Puts In Busy Day.
Following these conferences, TO which
three hours time were set aside, there was