Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-13


it's duty that the Republican candidate
| felt it necessary to add to his plat
form in several important particulars,
| thus rebuking the leaders of the party,
upon whose cooperation he must rely
| for the enactment of remedial legisla-
ton.
| AS ! shall. in separate speeches, dis
, cuss the leading questions at issue, l
shall at this time confine mysak to the
paramount question. and to the far
/ reaching purposes of our party, as
that purpose is set forth in the plat
| form.
Our platform declares that the over
shadowing issue which manifests it.
self in all the questions now under
discussion, is Shall the people rule?"
No matter which way we turn; no
matter to what subject we address
ourselves. the same question confronts
us: Shall the people control their
! own government. and use the govern
| ment for the protection of their rights
and for the promotion of their well
| fare? or shall the representatives of
predator wealth prey upon a de-
! fenseless public, while the offenders
secure immunity from subservient
| officials whom they raise to power by
| INSCRIPTIONS methods? This is the
| issue raised by the known abuses" to
which Mr.. Taft refers.
| In message sent to congress last
| January, President Roosevelt said:
1.-The attacks by these great corpora
| tons on the administrations actions
| have been given a wide circulation
| throughout the country, in the news
papers and otherwise by those writer's
and speakers who, consciously or un-
| consciously. act as the representatives
| of predatory wealth-Of the wealth
accumulated on a giant scale by ali
forms of iniquity. ranging from the
OppreSsinon of wage earners to I'M
fair and unwholesome methods of
crushing out competition, and to de-
frauding the public by stock jobbinS
and the manipulation of securities.
Certain wealthy men of this stamp.
whose conduct should be abhorrent to
every man of ordinarily decent con-
science, and who commit the hideous
wrong of teaching our young men that
phenomenal business success must
ordinarily be based on dishonesty,
have, during the last few months,
made it apparent that they have
banded together to work for re-
action Their endeavor is to over
throw and discredit all who honestly
administer the law, to prevent anT
additional legislation which would
check and restrain them. anu i
secure if possible. a freedom from al!
restraint which will permit every IN
scrupulous wrong-dner to do what he
wishes unchecked. prnvid"d he has
enough money''-What an arraiEn-
ment of the predatory interests,
Is the Presidents indictment true?
And if true, against whom WA% the
Indictment directed? Not against the
Democratic party.
Mr.. Taft says that these evils have
crept in during the last 10 years. He
| declares that. during This time. some
prominent and influential members Of
the community. spurred by financial
success and in their hurry for greater
| wealth. became unmindful Of the COM
mon rules of business honesty and
fidelity. and of the limitations i'm
posed by law upon their actions; ana
| that the revelations of the breaches
| of trusts the disclosures as to rebates
and determinations by railroads. the
|
| tions OF the antitrust laws. by a
number of corporations. and the over
| issue of stocks and bonds of inter-
| state railroads for the unlawful en-
richine of directors and for the pur-
pose of concentrating the control or
! the railroads under one management,
all these he charges "quickened the
| conscience of the people and brought
on a moral awakening"
During all this time, I beg TO remind
Won, Republican officials presided in
the executive department.. filled the
| cabinet dominated the Senate. con-
trolled the House of Representatives
and occupied most of the federal Judge
| SHIPS Four years ago the Republican
Platform hoastfully declared that since
| 1S6O-with the exception of two years
the Republican party had been in con-
| troll of part or all the branches of the
federal government; that for tW" years
only was the Democratic party in Il po-
| Sition to either enact or repea! Il law.
| Having drawn the salaries; having
enjoyed the honors; having secured the
prestige. let the Republican party ac-
ccpt the responsibility!
| Why were these known abuses" per-
mitted to develop? Why have they not
been corrected? Ii existing laws are
sufficient. why have they not been en-
! forced? All of the executive machinery
of the federal government is in the
| hands of the Republican party. Are
new laws necessary? Why have they
not been enacted? With Republican
| President to recommend, with Re
publican Senate and House to carry
out his recommendations, why does the
| Republiran candidate plead for further
| time in which to do what should have
been done long ago? Can Mr.. Taft pro
| mise t. be more strenuous in the pros
ecution of wrong doors than the pres
ent executive? Can he ask for larger
majority in the Senate than his party
now has? Does he need more Repub-
licans in the House of Representatives.
or a Speaker with more unlimited au-
thority?
The Presidents close friends have
been promising for several years that
he would attack the iniquites of the
tariff. We have had intimation that
Mr.. Taft was FESTIVE under the uc-