Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-14
from the course which he regards as right
and in the interest of the whole people.
Interest in Taft's Success

xuISISSL Ia l All 3 SUCCESS.
1 have naturally a peculiar interest in
the success of Mr.. Taft, and in seeing him
backed by a majority in both houses of
Congress which will heartily support his
policies. For the last ten years, while l
have been Governor of New York and
President. l have been thrown into the
closest intimacy with him. and he and
L have on every essential point stood in
heartiest agreement, shoulder to shoulder.
We have the same views as to what is de-
manded by the national interest and
honor. both within our own borders, and
as regards the relations of this nation
with other nations. There is no fight for
decency and fair dealing which l have
waged In which l have not had his heart
lest and most effective sympathy and
support. and the policies for which
stand are his policies as much as mine.
1t is not possible in the space of this
letter to discuss all the many and infinite
~ varied questions of moment with which
Mr.. Taft as President would have to
deal; let him be judged by what he has
himself done. and by what the administra-
ton, in which he has played SO conspicu-
Gus part. has done. But to illustrate
just what his attitude is let me touch on
two matters now prominent in the public
mind
Taft and Railroads.
MIR. Taft can be trusted to exact JUS
tice from the railroads for the very rea-
son that he can be trusted to do justice
to the railroads. The railroads are the
chief instruments of interstate commerce
IN the country, and they can neither be
held to proper Accountability on the
one hand nor given proper protection on
the other, save by the affirmative action
laid down by the federal courts clearly
Shows that the states have not and cam
not devise laws adequate to meet the
problems caused by the great growth Of
the railroads doing an interstate COM
merce business, for more than four-fifths
OF the business of the railroads is in
terstate. and under the Constitution of
the United States only the federal gov
eminent can exercise control thereover
1t is absolutely necessary that this con-
troll should be affirma tive and thorough
going. All interstate business carried on
by the great corporations should in the
interest Of the whole people, be far more
closely supervised than at present by the
national government. but this is espe
cially true of the railroads, which can
not exist at all save by the exercise Of
powers granted them on behalf of the
people, and which, therefore, should be
people. 1t is in the interest of the peo-
pie that they should not be permitted
to do injustice, and it is no less to the
interest of the people that they should
not Suner injustice.
Prime Purpose of Railways.
Their prime purpose is to carry the
commodities Of the farmers and the bust
ness men; they could not be built save
for the money contributed to them by
their shareholders; they could not be run
at all save for the money paid out in
wages to the railroad employees, and, f.
nally, they could not be run judiciously
profitably to any one were it not for
the employment by them of some master
full guiding intelligence, whether of one
man or of group Of men. There are.
therefore, several sets of interests to be
considered. Each must receive proper
consideration, and when any one of them
selfishly demands exclusive consideration
the demand must be refused. Along GER
tain lines all of these groups have the
same interests. 1t is to the interest OF
shipper. farmer, wage-worker, business
man. honest shareholder and honest man.
ager alike that there should be economy.
honesty, intelligence and fair treatment
of all. To put an effective stop to stock
watering would be q benefit to every
body except the swindlers who profit by
stock watering; it would benefit the hon.
est shareholder because honest invest
ments would not be brought into COM
petition with mere paper; it would bene-
fit the wage-worker because when the
money earned does not have to go TO
wing interest on WateTeu Cdpltdl ulOiC
of 1t is left. out of which to pay wages;
it would benefit the shipper because when
only honest stockholders have to be paid
interest rates need not be Improperly
raised; it would benefit the public be
cause there would be ample money with
which to give efficient service.
Prevention Of Favoritism.
Similarly, the prevention of favoritism
as among shippers does no damage to
anx one who is honest, and confers great
good upon the smaller business man and
the farmer whom it relieves of oppres-
sion. Again, such supervision of accounts
and management as will prevent crooked
ness and oppression works good. directly
or indirectly, to all honest people. There
fore everything that can be done along
all these lines should be done; and no
mans legitimate interest would thereby
be hurt But after this point has been
reached great care must be exercised not
to work injustice to one class In the eff
fort to show favor to another class, and
each class naturally tends to remember
only it's own needs. The stockholders
must receive an ample return on their
investments or the railroads cannot be
built and successfully maintained; and
the rates to shippers and the wages to
employees, from the highest to the lowest,
must ALL be conditioned upon this fact.
On the other hand, in a public service
such excessive profits will necesstate
rates being unduly high and wages un-
duly low.
Reduction of Rates.
Again, while in all proper ways rates
must be kept low, we must always re-
member that we have no right and no
justification to reduce them when the re-
suit is the reduction of the wages of the
great army of railroad men. A fair work
ing arrangement must be devised accord
ing to the needs Of the several cases,
that profits, wages and. rates shall each
be reasonable with reference to the other
two-and in wages / include the properly
large amounts which should always be
required for the successful direction of
great enterprises. Combinations which
favor such an equitable arrangement
should themselves be favored and not for
hidden by law. although they should be
strictly supervised by the government
through the interstate commerce commits
sion which should have the power of
passing summariy upon not only the
question Of the reduction but the raising
of rates.
An Intricate Problem.
This railroad problem is itself one Of the
phases of one of the greatest and most
intricate problems of our civilization; for
it's proper solution we need not merely
honesty and courage, but judgment, good
sense and entire fairmindedness. Dema-
gogy in such a matter is, as certain to
work evil as corruption itself. The man
who promises to raise the wages of rail-