New-York tribune., 1908-12-16
SAYS SOME CHANGES NAY
BE NECESSARY.
Te7s National Ci5'ic Federation That
He Intends To Be President of
Al the People.

a-77ers u the National Civic Federation, who
,-e - dinner AZ the Hotel Astor to work for
The repeal n the law
T,are Taft said he was not ready TO part
-,-h me law: that enforcement was necessary.
s-5 that discussion Of it was for the men who
-=e-etood all the conditions. Sketchy state
,s--z loose explanations. were dangerous, said
-ra Pres;dent-elect
samuel Gompers was one OF the speakers who
-eoa5ed Judge Taft. He touched indirectly on
so-,e ~ the disputes of the campaign. and then
- Won tremendous applause when he said:
There seems 10 he an impression that Mr.. Taft
= going 70 be less the President of Samuel
r.o-rpe-s than Of any other man Wen'-and
~ campers paused for q moment and smiled
= NJ Taft---he won't-that's all
NJ Taft replied to that remark. too toward
,se end u his speech 1t has been very pleas
s-+ h said for me 10 meet here at this
bosr6 Nj Mitchell. Mr.. Gompers and other
1sba- leaders. I trust they know, and know
-tsv 90 know. that whatever may have happen
81 IS regards any citizen Of this country is all
z5-e5 out as far as my conduct President Of
-. Tinted States is concerned and I want TO
7bark NJ Gonpers for his statement that
viii be as much his President as that OF any
Other man.
This was another sentiment of Mr.. Taft's
rhar won q great deal OF applause. But there
v-as a least as much enthusiasm for what he
movers liability act. which he referred 70 at
Cooper Union last January. long before his nom
i-s-iou for the Presidency.
II connection with the need for such law.
which he 6vrelt strongly, MI Taft spoke Of
The Injustice that lay in the delays caused by
tie -I5gEing Of the courts He suggested the
creation Of q ouasi-judicial tribunal that should
have tre power OF arranging compensation for
labo-ers injured IN the course Of their work
The active prosecution OF a demand for such
relief NJ Taft commended 70 the federation
Mr. NGALLss CHALLENGE
Melville E ingalls,. who supported Mr..
Brvar'z candidacy this year. devoted himself to
2, i-1rassioned appeal for the repeal Of the
Sherman law. saying that campaign with
r.zt e1d in view would be the greatest work
rbe National Civic Federation could undertake
g this time He said that the law was passed
twenty years ago, when one expected IL TO
- enforced. and that the worst thing that
could happen to a country was 70 have law
On i-z statute books that could not be en-
forced
NJ. ingalls, was not opposed TO regulation OF
railroads and other corporations, but he wanted
such regulation 70 be put in the hands Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission and the bU-
rssu q corpora tons, suggesting comparison
with the regulation Of corporations in England
by t-e Board Of Trade.
NJ. Taftrs references 10 the Sherman law were
re-erallv regarded as q direct answer TO Mr..
Tngz1s, particularly his references TO imPres-
storis-5c sketches without true understanding Of
1he meaning OF the law. whether he intended
sDcr q construction to be put on his words or
not There uas much laughter in consequence,
bvt when he said that abuses Of combinations of
csu:rsl must be punished there was storm OF
-es1 s--las1se bv far the heartiest OF the even
ing
NJ Taft was the last OF the speakers called
or h-- Seth Low. who was in the chair. After
NJ ingalls, spoke Andrew Carnegie talked of old
aEe pensions here and abroad, and August Bel
mont. John Mitchell. Samuel Gonpers and A
3 Car~etson. chief of the Brotherhood Of Rail-
road Conductors. spoke.
JUDGE TAFT'S SPEECH
n Taft's speech follows:
Tine was. as the last speaker has most elo-
cuer-'v said, when everybody VINO emPloEea
labor was opposed 10 the labor union. When IL
WIS regarded as a menace That time am
glad - say. has largely passed away ana IIe
nan today who opposes an organization OF
lsbo- should be relegated 20 the last century
7 has cone rnarvels for labor and viii doubtless
10 more And what il viii co for labor more
is t- the very particulars pointed out by the
last speaker Il viii. I doubt not avoid that
reduction 70 a dead level Of all WorklngmeIl
whether ehiftless or earnest in their work II
will ~ the force Of public opinion in the union
.tse'f enable the men in the union 10 feel thst
snail prove have tnat eIIeCI OF iTNf4-
Ing down. but shall encourage in leveiiing up
s-d that those who lead in energy can have
Inc 'ee5ership.
There VS. time on the other hand, wnen
those who led "a bor in the interest Of labor
thought that The Introduction Of machinery was
az inst the interests Of labor Many tragedy,
many q CONTROVERSY. arose from that but by
careful consideration and discussion that naS
been eliminated and ceases to be cause OF
contention between the TWO
Then .ye have the coordination Of labor The
tade agreement has sometimes presented an ol2 Pr
rC~:ls.Erv fHr controversy. but believe that an
are r0" agreed that II IS wise and makes i"f
Industrial peace.
tre employer who SAYS 4 deal alone with my
hor and ] do not recognize a general IN /
teresr in what is done in respect 10 my labor,
IS Ea~ behind the times. and does not recognize 1
vra- must exist for the benefit Of labor. and
what those Of US who are charged with general /
policies must hope always to encourage 70 VII !
Organization Of labor on the one hand; the /
rerrgrtsion that il is Ior the time being. /
class 10 be represented by leaders, and. on the /
Other hand that capitalists. too. may combine I
n The same way in order that the two power !
ful clements may meet on a level ground-Inay /
meet where neither Is al arm iehs'h ana /
neither al the mercy Of the other
CONSTITUTION ALL RIGHT
Now. feel some hesitation and emnarrass-
nerr IN getting up TO talk on some of the SUD /
tecte rhsT nave been mentioned tonight ] am /
sworn or expect 10 be FoIn II lt+. L" uiIoiG /
The Constitution Of the Jhli'H fl''eS' ai,- t
think ir expectation q tnaI obligation. olgnt /
"a -lz- 70 rh1 defence uf that poor. battered "d
Instrument under discussion to-hlghl- ds.5 ds.F /
that our system II government i d 'oiii
0le gree that even 50 great q STA al'-sHidii /
Nr Gladstone when he came 10 describe I
IS III ms paper Kin Across the sea saNe up I
any attempt - explain the eonnlcLhe JuIiSui'
Tons - the federal courts and ile STAT ~ '5-l =
p many resIetfs. and get j was lttb Mhrl' W" /
began and the Constitution was adopted ana @ Iut
r. force IN I1e3 and we nave EotleH "'oi-s /
pielty Well with that Constitution. .t,,
] re- r-T