The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-10-22
Taft on
Colorado Issues
SPEAKS FREELY ON SUBJECTS OF
IMPORTANCE.

On his recent visit to Colorado Judge
Taft took occasion to puzzle his crit
les and enlighten all concerned by
some pointed remarks regarding mat
ters Of particular interest to Colorado
people. He was frank and convincing
and left no doubt as to the common
dable attitude of the Republican party
on questions of moment here.
This is the concise manner in which
Judge Taft stated his views on the
sugar question at Greeley:
Il understand you are interested
here good deal in beet sugar, and l
also understand that some people have
intimated that was against beet SUI
gar. deny It,
Il would not do anything that would
injure the beet industry in any way.
and the Republican platform pledges
the Republican party to take no action
which will not leave adequate protec-
ton for the beet sugar interests.
But call your attention to the fact
that sugar is trust made product and
that If Mr.. Bryan becomes President
and has control Of the legislation, he
proposes to put sugar on the free list
because 1t is trust made product.
Now tnat Is the character Of remedy
that he proposes to give to the trusss-
I'VE say to regulate the trusts, to
stamp out their evil. but not to pun
ish the innocent with the guilty-not,
in order to bring the sugar trust within
the law. to destroy the farmers who
raise beet sugar, the men who work
in the beet sugar factories and the In
nocent beet sugar producers"
Judge Taft paid some attention to
Mr.. Gompers and the labor question
The following is what he said:
Il am coming now to question
which perhaps ought to treat from a
somewhat personal standpoint, to-wit,
that of whether labor ought to vote
against me. am told that they have
been told that was an enemy Of labor
They have been fed that doctrine
through Mr.. Samuel Gompers, who has
delivered over all the labor vote in the
United States, taking it out of his pock-
ct and putting it into Mr.. Bryan's
pocket.
What am anxious to do Is 10 get
a little Of the labor left over that
won't go into the pocket Of either gen
tleman. My impression is that the
laboring men of this country, like other
citizens of this country-and ! hate
to distinguish between the two, for
really we haven't classes-the laboring
man of this generation is the million
aire of the next, and the millionaire's
son of the next may be laboring man
of the next, and so 1t ought to be. They
propose to vote, or Mr.. Gompers pro-
poses to have them vote for Mr.. Bryan
on the theory that Mr.. Bryan and the
Democratic party are the real friends
of labor.
when you are making selection OF
an agent, when you are deciding to
favor one side or the other, ordinarily
you look to see what has been done by
them in the past. That is very good
proposition. believe the Judgment
by record as good as any Judgment
that we can have. If any friend Of Mr..
Bryan or Mr.. Gompers would point me
to single line of legislation on the fed
eral statute books passed by the Demo
cratic party when in power, in the in
terest Of labor, shall be glad to have
him do SO. Mr.. Bryan was twice Con
gresham, served two terms, and If
any measure was proposed by him in
the interest of labor should be glad to
have it."
Speaking on the tariff question in
Denver, Judge Taft made few re-
marks. The following paragraph ~
typical Of his views on the subject:
'Mr. Bryan says he is going to revise
the tariff in form. The Republican
party can be trusted to carry out its
platform declaration and hold special
session for the purpose after March
4th. The Democrats promise you a
gradual reduction to tariff for revenue
only. You tried that sixteen years
ago. Do you remember the nightmare
the farmers look back at? All, but it
is to be gradual this time. They are
not going to cut the limbs all at once
They are going to cut a leg or an arm
off every two years. How much do
you think such practice would contri
butte to the commercial peace Of the
nation? We need more than anything