The Washington herald., 1908-01-11

members Of the Peoples Forum, conduct
ed by the Peoples Institute, and the
Secretary's reception was most encourag-
ing
When it was all over there was such
a rush for the platform TO shake Mr..
Tafts hand that for a few moments it
looked as if somebody would be hurt-
Several policemen ran to the platform and
soon had things Strengthened out.
Neither Mr.. Tafts speech nor his an
swers to questions shed much light on
some of the subjects in which the public
is interested. but there is no doubt that
the Secretary scored heavily with his
audience.
Urges Cooperation.
He gave many reasons why labor and
capital should cooperate, declared that
there were times when striking was
labors only effective and legitimate
weapon, averred that the manufacturer
who would not deal with organized labor
was practically behind the times. and as
serted that the blacklist was equally
wrong and cruel with the boycott
The Secretary put himself on record
as believing that the injunction should
be so safeguarded that in labor cases,
at least no restraining order should issue
until after notice and a hearing had been
given. He even said that since some dis
trust existed in the minds OF laboring
men Of judges who sat at hearings on in
functions issued by themselves that it
might be well 10 allow defendants in In
junction cases 70 have the privilege Of
demanding that the hearings be held be
fore other judges
Hundreds Cannot Get In.
Cooper Union was jammed to the doors.
with hundreds standing. before the hour
Of :. Outside a long line was stiH walt
ing in the vain hope Of obtaining en-
trance. AS it was. Mr.. Taft did not ar
rive at the hall until $40 O'Clock He
drove to the Fourth avenue entrance, ac-
companied by his brother Henry ".
Taft. and members of the latter's family
When the Secretary appeared there was
an uproar that lasted for fully a minute.
Among those who had seats on the
platform were Robert De Forest Rev.
John p. Peters, James Speyer, and Henry
Clews
Charles Sprague Smith started in at
once on the Introduction. and while he
was speaking the Secretary sat quietly
on a plain wooden chair Prof. Smith
said a lot of things about Mr. Taft and
wound up by introducing him as the Sec
retary of the Navy. There was a big howl
az this and shouts Of Secretary of War.
and Secretary of Peace went up al
over the house, mingled with many cries
of Three cheers for the next President
Tells ROOSeveIt's Story.
Mr.. Taft took it all good-naturedly and
flashed his searchlight smile over the
crowded house until they quieted down
bit. Then he said that Prof Smiths
method Of introducing him reminded him
Of story the President had told him
about a celebrated politician who was
once touring in the West. once wnen
| this politician was being introduced to
make a speech, the man who was pre-
senting him spoke about as follows:
My friends. have now the great
honor Of introducing TO you a man, who
| is known to you all, an eminent man,
whose record is a household word. 1t
! gives me great pleasure, | say, to intro
duce to you Mr.-er-(turning
to the eminent politician what the devil
is your name, anyway
Has Crowd with Him.
This put the Secretary on the most
! genial terms with his audience at the
start. and they listened to him with the
closest attention. It was straight
away. hard-headed talk. delivered with
the utmost clearness and directness with
out the slightest effort at oratOrical ef-
feet. II was all carefully typewriter,
and the. Secretary read every word of it.
It took him about fifty minutes to read it.
After briefly tracing the history Of civil
/ institutions, and showing how capital re-
suits from the accumulated savings of
/ industry, Mr. Taft observed that 1t was
/ plainly for the benefit of all to increase
the capital in use in the world. and that
this can be done only by maintaining the
motive for its increase.
Labor needs capital" said Mr.. Taft.
/ Ito secure the best production, while cap
/ itaI needs labor in producing anything.
/ The share of each laborer in the joint
product is affected not exactly. but in a
general way, by the amount of capital in
use as compared with the number of
those who labor. The more capital in use
the more work there is do do, and the
more work there is TO do, the more labor
eTs are needed. The greater the need
for laborers. the better their pay per
man. Manifestly, it is in the direct in
terest of the laborer that capital shall in-
crease faster than the number of those
who work.
Everything, therefore. which legiti-
mately tends to increase the accumulation
of wealth and its use for production will
give each Iaborer a larger share of the
joint result of capital and labor Nothing
is so likely 20 make wealth idle as inse-
cugity of invested capital and property
1t follows, as a necessary conclusion, that
to destroy the guarantees of property is a
direct blow at the interest of the work
ingman."
1T is greatly in the interest of the
workingman," continued the speaker