Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-09-17


ample return on their investments or the
railroads cannot be built and success
fully maintained; and the rates TO ship
pers and the wages 10 employees, from the
highest To the lowest. must all be condi-
toned upon this fact On the other
hand, in a public service corporation we
have no right to allow such excessive
profits as will necesstate rates being
unduly high and wages unduly low.
Again. while i'm 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
result is the reduction of the wages of
the great army of railroad men. A fair
working arrangement must be devised
according TO the needs OF the several
cases, so 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 paid TO those whose master
full ability is required for the success
full direction OF great enterprises.
IL there is one body OF men more than
another whose support ! feel have a
right to challenge on behalf OF Secre-
tary Taft 1t is the body of wage-work-
ers OF the country. A stauncher friend.
fairer and truer representative, they
cannot find within the borders OF the
United States. He will do everything in
his power for them except to do that
which is wrong; he will do wrong for no
man. and therefore can be trusted by all
men.
Mr.. Taft has been attacked because
Of the injunctions he delivered while
on the bench. j am content to rest his
case on these very injunctions / main
tain that they show why all our people
should be grateful to him and should feel
1t safe to intrust their dearest interests
to him. Most assuredly he never has
yielded and never will yield to threat or
pressure OF any sort. as little IL it comes
from labor as IL II comes from capital;
he will no more tolerate the violence of
mob than the corruption and oppres-
sion and arrogance of a corporation or
OF a wealthy man. He will not consent
to limit the power OF the courts TO put
n stop to wrongdoing wherever found.
This very fact should make the labor
people feel a peculiar confidence in him.
His record as a judge makes the whole
country his debtor. His actions and de-
cisons are part of the great traditions
of the bench. They guaranteed and set
forth in striking fashion the rights of
the general public as against the selfish
interests OF any class, whether of CAPT.
talists or of laborers. They set forth and
stand by the rights of the wage-workers
to organize and to strike, as unequivocal-
ly as they set forth and stand by the
doctrine that no conduct will be tolerated
that would spell destruction to the ma
ton as a whole. AS for the attack upon
his injunctions in labor disputes. made
while he was on the bench, / ask that
the injunctions be carefully examined.
ask that every responsible and fair
minded labor leader. every responsible
and fair-minded member of a labor or
ganiZation. read these injunctions for
himself II he will do so, instead OF con-
demning them he will heartily approve OF
them and will recognize this further as
tonishing fact that the principles laid
down by Judge Taft in these very i'm
functions. which laboring people are asked
to condemn, are themselves the very prin-
ciples which are now embodied in the
laws or practices of every responsible la
Dor organization. Judge Taft on the
bench-as since in the Philippines, In
Panama, in Cuba, in the war depart
ment-showed himself to be a wise, a
fearless, and an upright servant OF the
whole people. whose services to the whole
people were beyond all price.
Let all fairminded men. wage-workers
and capitalists alike, consider yet an
other fact In one of his decisions upor
the bench Judge Taft upheld in the
strongest fashion, and for the first time
gave full vitality to, the principle of the
employers liability for injuries done
law on the subject was enacted. Judge
Taft's sense OF right, his indignation
against oppression in any form, against
any attitude that is not fair and just
drove him to take position which wa:
violently condemned by short-sightet
capitalists and employers of labor, which
was so far in advance Of the time thai
II was not generally upheld by the state
courts, but which we are now embodyint
In ba la If
a leader. a pioneer while on the bench
In the effort to get justice for the wage
worker, In jealous championship of hi:
rights; and all upright and farsightet
laboring men should hold IT to his cred
that at the same time he fearlessly stool
against the abuses of labor, just as III
fearlessly stood against the abuses o.
capital. II elected. he has shown by hi'
deeds that he will be president OF M
class, but of the people as n whole; III
| can be trusted to stand stoutly agains
| the two real enemies of our democracy
against the man who TO please one class
would undermine the whole foundation
| of orderly liberty, and against the mar
who in the interest of another class
would secure business prosperity by
! sacrificing every right OF the working
| people
would for no consideration advise thu
wage-worker to do what l thought wal
! against his interest. j ask his support To-
| Mr. Taft exactly as l ask such supper
/ from every farsghted and right-thinkint
American citizen; because ! believe will
| all my heart that nowhere within tn
borders OF our great country can there b'
| found another man who will as vigilantl,
| and efficiently as Mr.. Taft support TIT
rights OF the working man as he will tn
| rights OF every man who in good faitf
| strives to do his duty as an American
| OF both rich and poor, and he will wal
relentlessly against lawlessness and In
Justice whether exercised on behalf o
property or of labor.
on the bench Judge Taft showed tn
two qualities which make great judge
| wisdom and moral courage. They are al
so the two qualities which make grea
! president.
Sincerely yours,