The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-10-02

are doing after the election Mr.. Taft
knows that great many matters come
ficult. if not iIHDossible for the aver
age voter to Investigate the facts.
Right of the People to Know.
advance of election whether those with
special interests to look after are con-
tributing sums larger than public spirit,
patriotic motives and general interest
didate for governor is likely to have to
pass upon railroad legislation the peo-
pie have d right to know whether men
largely interested in preventing railroad
legislation have contributed literally to
his campaign fund. If a man aSpireS
to an office in which, if elected, he will
have to pass upon antitrust legislation
or enforce antitrust laws, ii is only
right that the public should know to
what extent the trust magnateS are fl
nancinS his campaign And so, If man
is a candidate for office which brings
him into official connection with tariff
legislation, il is proper for the public
to know whether he will be SO obligated
to the beneficiarieS of high tariff as
TO be embarrassed when he attempts TO
protect the consumer.
Misrepresented by Taft.
Mr. Taft misrepresents what | have
said in regard to Mr.. Hughes. / called
attention to some of the contributions
that were made to Mr.. Hughes fund and,
in view of the fact that Mr.. Hughes
attacks the plankS presented in the DEM
ocratic platform as a cure for the trusts,
without advancing any remedies of his
own, and in view of the further fact
til at this testimony was quoted by the
president against me, l asked the pres
ident whether he thought that these con-
tributions by trust magnates would les
sen or increase the weight of Mr.. Hughes
testimony on the subject of trusts. 1t
will not do for Mr. Taft to put Mr..
Hughes up on a pedestal and claim for
him immunity from criticism. 1t is neces-
sary for me TO pass Judgment upon Mr..
Hughes or upon what he has done in or
der to pass judgment upon the question
upon discussion. He is only human and
was one of the allies before the Chicago
convention. We assume that public Of
ficials will be honest and yet we require
bonds of those who handle money, no
matter how much character they may
have. The law will not permit a judge,
juror or an official to accept a gift if
the gift is from one who has an inter-
est in the official action of the officials,
and in forbidding this the law does not
ask as to the character of the official.
The law is based upon human nature
and human experience, and it is not
necessary to furnish specific proof of spe-
clal weakness in the man who receives
the money. or TO prove that his decision
was in any manner affected by the
gift No scales have yet been invented
for the. accurate weighing of the rea-
sons which enter into an official de-
ciSiOn-
Common Sense Against Taft.
1T is only fair, however. to assume that
in using Mr. Hughes case as argu-
ment Mr.. Taft means to say that he will
not object to contributions from trust
magnates. railroad magnates and tariff
beneficiaries, no matter how much those
contributions may be, even though he
may. if elected. be compelled to pass upon
questions where their demands may be on
the one side and the interests of the
craro nf-sal 10 he OIL 10 vet
not complain if he finds that many rep
resenting the rank and file will differ
from him on this subject for the aver
by the rules applied to average men.
Common sense and the universal judg-
ment are against Mr.. Taft's position, and
against the arguments which he ad-
vanceS in its support"