The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-10
The Case OF Judge Taft.

Of a curative serum for q disease which
though not formally recognized by
Psychologists and ~alienists, is yet very
prevalent among politicians. Candi-
datitis is a fearful malady, 1t insidi-
ously creeps upon the sanest minds. 1t
slowly impairs their intellectual integ-
rity and finally drives them to drivel for
which a college sophomore would indig-
nantly disclaim responsibility. This in
sidious disease has dug many a grave in
that vast metropolis wherein lie buried
political regulations,
The latest and most conspicuous VIC
tim is that able jurist and efficient
administrator WILLIAM H. TAFT, He
showed a marked symptom Of the malady
in the address which he made to the
Order Of Railway Conductors before
leaving Chicago. He said;
Every man who understand, welcomes tho
lawful combinations Of capital and the comb
nations OF labohng men, Yet there Is no deny
inE the fact that we must look forward to a gIgan'
tic controversy between labor and capital, hoping
and trusting that It will be settled peacefully.
That controversy. Whea It ONES viii decide
once for all now capital and labor shall share Ih'
Joint pronts which they create
This clumsy coddling Of organized
labor will do Mr.. TAFT NJ possible good.
Its mischievous effect, which we prefer
10 believe was unattended, is that it
naturally tends to incite labor organiza-
tions to a gigantic controversy, y by the
promise Of some mysterious and pre-
sumably beneficial new appOrtionment
of the joint profits Of labor and capital
The time is not oppoJtune for such
provocation to labor conflicts. As the
panic Of 1893 was followed by the great
Pullman strike, which for a time para
lived the commerce of the country, sim
ilarly in the inevitable readjustment OF
conditions which must follow the tenn
porary end of prosperity, as the night
the day, the danger Of a prolonged
struggle between labor and capital Is
sufficiently great, without encourage
ment from q responsible statesman,
Organized labor already had sufficient
Indictment to resist any reduction Of
wages by Mr.. RoOsEyELT's adroit letter
20 the Interstate Commerce Commission,
in which he threatened the railroads with
a fresh exercise Of Federal inquisitorial
power if they venCured to reduce this
with other railway expenses. 1t also
had the very modern economics" Of Mr..
SAMUEL GoMPERs. who, ignoring the
great law of supply and demand and
Drawing the incoming tide Of industrial
depression, as the courageous but mis-
guided Mrs. P%ARTINGToN braved the seq,
promulgated his decree that the wages
which had been increased in q period
Of unexampled prosperity should not be
decreased, even though the demand for
labor had shrunk to insignificant proper
tons. Mr.. TAFT does not threaten like
Mr.. ROOSEVELT, nor does he overrule
the law of supply and demand like Mr..
GoMPERs, but he implicitly promises the
representatives Of organized labor whom
he addressed a better division Of the
Joint profits of labor and capital as a
sequence Of a gigantic controversy
between them.
II the time for MIR. TAFT's prediction
and promise was unfortunate, the place
was doubly so, Spoken in the city OF
Chicago-the storm centrt of labor con-
~troversies his remarks recall the last
Gigantic controversy" between labor and
capital, which paralyzed the traffic OF
the country and was only terminated
by the courageous action Of GROVER
CLEVELAND, aided by the nc less coura-
geous and forceful decisions Of Judge
TAFT and the Supreme Court Of the
United States.
The absurdity of Mr.. TAFT's promise
10 organized labor is no less than its in
expediency. He told them that this
coming controversy would decide Once
for all how capital and labor shall share
the Joint profits which they create,
Since ADAM delved and Eve span an
eager world for countless generations
has awaited this complete and perma-
nent solution Of a question which is as
old as the race and az continuous a.
It's history. II Mr., TAFT knew what the
permanent solution was 20 be he un.
fortunately neglected TO tell an expect
ant world. Possibly, like the student
who had once known what the aurora
borealis was, Mr.. TAFT has already
forgotten a remedy which would have
raised him in the rank Of political econo.
mists far above ADAM SMITH or JoHN
STUART MILL.
We had supposed that in the infinitely
OampleX state of modern society the re-
wards Of capital and labor must depend
upon the ever changing relation Of sup,
ply to demand. Capital is certainly MOI
exempt from this great and as w hac
supposed immutable law. Its share o.
the joint profits must depend upon thu
v changing quantity Of money avail
able for investment. We hope Mr.. TAFT''