The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1909-03-11


p Coro, Ntrst no Ru;,t Ac.
"..i' -. ~.
cording 10 frcsch' ii""s'
Washington, d. C'-Alter having
been sworn in as President, Mr.. Taft
delivered his inaugural Address
-, :. &, nort &c fol,o,os.
"hi'' 49, :" POI
Ny Fellow Citizens:
Any one who takes the oath / have
just taken must feel heavy weight
of responsibility. II not. he has no
conception of the powers and duties
of the office upon which he is about
to enter, or he is lacking in a proper
sense or the obligation which the oath
imposes.
The Office of an Inaugural Address
is to give summary outline of the
main policies of the new administra-
tion, so far as they can be anticipated.
have had the honor to be one of
the advisers of my distinguished pred
ecessor, and as such, to hold up his
hands in the reforms he has initiated.
l should be untrue to myself, to my
promises and to the declarations of
the party platform upon which / was
elected to Office, If did not make the
maintenance and enforcement of
those reforms a most important fea-
ture of my administration. They
were directed to the suppression OF
the lawlessness and abuses of power
of the great combinations of capital
invested in railroads and in industrial
enterprises carrying on interstate
commerce. The steps which my
lpRlClAt1On
passed on his recommendation have
accomplished much. have caused
general halt in the vicious policies
which created popular alarm, and
have brought about in the business
affected much higher regard Tor
existing law.
To render the reforms lastlng,
however. and to secure at the same
time freedom from alarm on the part
of those pursuing proper and progress
sive business methods, further legis-
lative and executive action are
needed. Relief of the railroads irom
certain restrictions of the antitrust
law have been urged by my prede-
cessor and will he urged oy me. On
the other hand. the administration is
pledged to legislation looking to a
striction to prevent excessive iss'' 'F
of bonds and stocks by compares
owning and operating interstate con-
merCe railroads.
Mr.. Taft expresses the belief that
a REORGANIZATION of the Department
of Justice. of the Bureau of Corpora
tions in the. Department of Commerce
and Labor. and of the Interstate Com
,icc ic n
cure a more rapid enforcement of the
laws affecting interstate railroads
and Industrial combinations.
He says he hopes to submit, at the
first regular session of the incoming
Congress, in December next, definite
suggestions in respect to the needed
amendments to the antitrust and the
interstate commerce law.
1t is believed, the Address con.
tinues, that with the changes to be
recommended, American business
can be assured of that measure oi
stability and certainty in respect tC
those things that may be done and
those that are prohibited, which is
essential to the life and growth oi
all business. Such plan must in,
clude the right of the people to avail
themselves of those methods of con-.
bining capital. at the same time dii.
ferentiating between combinations
based upon legitimate economic rea.
sons and those formed with the in,
tent of creating monopolies and arti
ficially controlling prices. believe
that the amendments to be proposed
are Just as necessary in the protec.
ton of legitimate business as in the
clinching of the reforms which prop.
erly bear the name of nv predecessor
On the subject of tariff revision Mr.
Taft says: A matter of most press
ing Importance is the revision of the
tariff. In accordance with the prom
ises of the platform upon which | was
elected, Shall call Congress into ex,
I ira session. to meet on the 15th day
of March, in order that consideration
may be at once given to bill revis
ing the Dingley Act. This should Sc
cure an adequate revenue and adjust
the duties in such a manner as tc
afford to labor and to all industrie!
1 in this country, whether of the farm
/ mine or factory nrotection nv tariff