The sun., 1908-10-13
OHIO CROWDS COOL TO TAFT
ENTHUSIASM OF THE VEST NOT
FOUND IN LABOR CENTRES.
Candidate Gets Respectful Hearing and
Cheers for His Courage e-Makes Six
teen Speeches, His Biggest Days
Work Since the Campaign Began.

teen Speeches, His Biggest Days
Work Since the Campaign Began.
AKRON. Ohio. Oct 12.--Judge Taft ended
his first day OF campaigning through his
home State with a speech before large
audience in this city tonight.
Mr.. Tafts speech was delivered as
he stood on the same platform from
which he hayed George B. Cox. the Re
publican boss Of Cincinnati, In his famous
soeeoh OF 1905. Rumors had reached
Air. Taft that the Democrats would try
to make trouble by firing at him some
questions about Cox's support, but no
speech by either Mr.. Taft or the audi
ence. United States Senator Charles
Dick presided at the Akron meeting and
Gov. Harris also spoke. Thousands were
turned away from the hall.
The candidates. trip to-day took him
through central and eastern Ohio, chiefly
through districts representing the States
pottery and mining industries.
The Republican State committee had
found after careful canvass that there is
a marked falling away Of Republican
strength in these districts. The pottery
plants have been hit hard by the depres-
sion and the unemployed from them are
lined up behind the Bryan standard.
This detection, added to the general
oampai gn that is being carried on against
Mr.. Taft in organized labor circles in
Ohio, has frightened the State leaders
and the candidate s trip to-day represented
an effort on his part to make union labor
and the unemployed see the light.
All told. Mr.. Taft made sixteen speeches,
which is the biggest days work he has
done since the campaign opened. He
ended the day. however. with his voice
in fairly good condition. While the
crowds that turned out all along the line
were large, the enthusiasm was cool
compared with that shown in most of the
Western States. 1t was apparent at many
OF tho labor meetings that Judge Taft
was talking to men opposed to him. But
these Ohio union men, like their brothers
in the States further West invariably
ended by applauding the Republican can
didate's courage.
Some of the districts through which
Mr.. Taft passed to-day were Senator
Foraker's old strongholds. Apparently
the recent unpleasantness between Mr..
Taft and the Senator was a factor con-
sdered in making up the Taft itinerary.
At Crooksville, one Of the stops made
by tie candidate, lives Zane Burley
who voted for Foraker in the Chicago
convention after having been instructed
for Taft. Newcomerstown, another stop
made by the Taft train, is in tAe Seven
teenth district. from which came the two
other delegates who made up the total
Of three votes for Foraker In the Chicago
convention. At both Crookesville and
Newcomerstown Mr. Taft was cordially
greeted,
One OF Mr.. Taft's most important labor
meetings was at GAINESVILLE, where he spoke
before about 5000. He referred there
for the first time in the campaign to the
remarkable development OF labor unions
under his decisions. Said he
THE leaders Of some labor organizations
say of me. You have struck down labor;
you have made labor organizations i'm
possib e., and Mr.. Gompers now talks
about me as a tyrant. He talks OF me as
one who would strike down the liberty
Of the working man. as one whose acts
have sacrificed the cause OF the laboring
man.
swell, let US see. The law as / laid II
down has been the law for ten years or
longer, ! only expressed what the law
was at that time. Under that formula
tion tho trades unions nave doubled in
numbers in this country. They never were
in such prosperous state. The American
Federation OF Labor has increased 100
per cent; Mr.. Gompers g salary has been
raised so per cent. and I'm glad OF It.
The labor unions have never reached
a point OF usefulness equal to that they
now occupy, although you would think
from reading what Mr.. Gompers has 10
say that they were in condition OF ablect
slavery. They never before exercised
the useful influences or power in pro-
tecting their own interests that they have
under the law as ! laid it down some ten
or fifteen years ago.
The union men applauded warmly. A
minute latter Mr.. Taft added:
Labor should unite in order to meet
the power OF capital. We have got 10
recognize that and we lave got to en-
courage il, but we have got to give the
courts the power to keep both capital and
labor within the law. Any system that
weakens the courts. that introduces
Jury trial between q final order Of the court
and its enforcement is TO make the courts
a laughing stock, and the first people
that would suffer from such system are
the very workingmen in whose interests
that change and that weakening OF power
of the courts is asked"
To the unemployed Mr. Taft put the
question squarely whether the election
Of Bryan, with his record of vacillation,
or the continuance OF the Republican
party in power was the more likely to
bring about restoration Of confidence.
Il appeal to the intelligent laboring
men to consider their own interest" said
Mr.. Taft, ito leave the demagogue and
those who appeal only TO passion. and to
look to their real interests and tell me
who will preserve them, the Republican
or the Democratic party"
At Cambridge Mr.. Taft spoke before
another crowd OF 10000. Mr.. Taft was
interrupted with the question: How
about Standard Oil?' He was telling
what the Republican Administration had
done in the way OF trust prosecutions.
Yes said Mr.. Taft, 1the President
is prosecuting it to the uttermost." Mr..
Taft added that the Standard Oil express
sion must have come from Democrat.
NO" said the man, "a Socialist.
In his Cambridge speech Mr.. Taft took
Bryan to task for calling him the father
Of injunctions. -and now the Nebraskan
admits" he said, that he had not even
read the Taft decisions upon which his
criticisms were based"
At Lancaster Mr.. Taft was introduced
by Arthur I. Vorys. his chief Of staff, in
this way:
Il believe that when God gave US
William H. Taft he gave us one OF the
greatest and in my Judgment the best
man that We have ever had in this coun-.