Middletown transcript., 1908-05-23
WHY TAFT SHOULD BE PRESIDENT
BY WALTER J. BALLARD

1 ibaabCL otnGON'
Speaking to L. K. Torbet, one of the
Illinois Taft delegation, he said: 'Torbet
1 have kept out and will continue to keep
out of every State which has a favorite
son. want my friends to heed that
warning. l do not desire to 60 into
Pennsylvania, New York or Illinois.
Naturally, 1 should be pleased to have
delegates for me for second choice"
Speaking at Buffalo on February 22d :
ave are, however, making our navy
more and more respectable each year,
and 1 am very hopeful that Congress will
take steps which will make our army a
proper nucleus for the rapid enlargement
of force for national defense commen-
surate with the population of our country
and with the extent of our jurisdiction. 1"
| Speaking at Cleveland on January 29sh:
Theodore Roosevelt has been able to
accomplish more in preservation OF the
peace of the world than any President
that ever administered or any monarch
that ever ruled. And that influence is
the result of the policy of expansion
adopted under William Mckinley"
| Speaking at Cooper Union, New York,
on January 10th :-"Labor needs capital to
secure the best production, which capital
needs labor in producing anything. The
share of each laborer in the joint product
is affected not exactly. but in a general
way, by the amount OF capital to carry on
the work there is to do, and the more
work there is to do, the more laborerR
are needed. The greater the need for
laborers, the better their pay per man.
Manifestly, it is in the direct interest of
the laborer that capital shall increase
faster than the number of those who
work. Everything, therefore, which
| IegitimateIy tends to increase the accnm-
ulation OF wealth and its use for produc-
ton will give each laborer larger share
of the joint result of capital and labor.
1t will be observed that the laborer de-.
rives little or no benefit at all from wealth
which is not needed for production.
Nothing is so likely to make wealth idle
as insecurity of invested capital and prop
erty. 1t follows, as necessary conclu-
sion, that to destroy the guarantees OF
property is direct blow at the interest
of the working-man. What am anxious
to emphasize is that there is wide econ
omic and business field in which the in.
terest of the wealthiest capitalist and the
humblest laborer are exactly the same"
Speaking on board the steamship Min
nesota of his official visit to the Vatican
regarding the Philippine government
purchase of the friars' lands in the Phil
ippines 81 cannot doubt, from what l
saw Of him, that Leo XIII was the great
est Pope in many years. His statesman
ship was undoubtedly of the highest
type; he was Latin poet of great purity
and force, an Italian nobeman of fine
education, and a man who controlled.
Almost to the minute of his death he was
the Pope in, fact, the Pope in control, a
Pope who carried out the policies of the
church as he thought they ought to be
carried out"
On the same occasion: Every Roman
Catholic who desires the greatest possible
good for his community must admit the
value of the presence Of Protestants in
the Philippines to foster and maintain
that spirit Of healthy competition which
is as useful in religious enterprises as in
the business and commercial life of
country"
Government ownership would put
power in the hands of one man or set of
men that would make you tremble for
the safety of the republic"
When urged, in October. 1902, by Pres
dent Roosevelt to return from his worry
ing work in the Philippines for a seat
for life on the bench of the Supreme
Court of the United States the highest
judicial body in the world, Mr.. Taft re.
piled "Great honor deeply appreciated,
but must decline. Situation here most |
critical from economic standpoint. Change |
proposed would create much disappoint-
ments and lack of confidence among
people. Nothing would satisfy indiyid-
ual tastes more than acceptance. Urged |
again by the President a month later, Mr..
Taft replies; Recognize soldiers duty to |
obey orders irreyocable by action, how
ever, presume on our personal friend
ship, even in the face of letter, to make
one more appeal, in which lay aside
wholly my strong personal desinclination
to leave work OF intense interest half
done. "This appeal based solely on strong
sense OF duty to the FiIipinos, was sue
cessful, and Mr.. Taft remained as Civil |
Governor till the proper time came for
him to return and enter the Cabinet as
Secretary OF War, with the home interests
OF the PHILIPPINES then, ami still, in bis
personal charge.
With his determination that the will of /
the people shall have free expression:
with his sound views of the relation of |
labor to capital and of capital to labor;
with his impartial view of the
claims and rights of both Catholics and
Protestants in the Philippines; his firm
opinion that government ownership of
railroads, etc., would be most unWise;
with his clear realization of property |
rights; with his freely admitted qualii-
cations by natural ability, training and
experience. for the Office; with his strong
sense OF duty at all positions, with his
penetrating, judicial conception Of the
right or wrong of public questions; with
his record Of success in every place be has
held as servant Of the people; with his
untiinching courage and his self -sacrific-
ing patriotism; with bis known abilities
as great lawyer, just Judge, an astute
diplomat, and a strong, wise and t4ctful
executive; with his absolutely unflinch-
ing rectitude on every point of public /
duty and willingness to bear response
bility; with his capacity to work hand