The Cairo bulletin., 1910-09-06
THOUSANDS or HEARERS WERE
PLEASED WITH PRESIDENTS
UTTERANcES.
DEFINED HIS POSITION.
On Laws Relating to Boycott and
Labor osccution--Rcpcat
edly compImented
Roosevelt.

Congress and at the Minnesota State
Fair Grounds outside the city this ar
ternoon, Taft left for Beverley to-
night by way Of Chicago.
In his conservation address the
president won quick response from
the thousands of hearers by his com
mon sense dealing with the, problems.
In the opinion OF many he also
made answer to the recent agitation
for a new nationalism,' or the fed
eral Capitalization OF power by de-
claring that the only safe course was
to hold fast to the limitations of the
constitution and regard as sacred the
power of the states. Tat, amid ap'
plause, made frequent references 70
the service Of Roosevelt In tie
cause Of conservation, but declared
that the time for glittering general
talk is passed. He suggested to the
congress that il invite its speakers
to come down to details, to the speci-
fic evils and remedies. He ended the
speech with his audience on their
feet. He said of the pproblem OF
water power site control as between
the state AMI the general government
he would submit the whole matter 70
congress for determination
At the fair grounds the president
delivered a labor day address, He
said he knew Of no intention on tie
part Of the government to prosecute
labor deaders under the antitrust
law. He said ne did not believe the
labor organizations should be exempt
from such prosecution by the specific
statute. He JecIarsd that such pre.'
piston of law world smack of class
legislation.
Explains His Position.
Tha federal antitrust law has been
held by the supreme court to de.
HouHce combinations, to obstruct or
restrain interstate trade, and to pro.
hibit therefore illegal boycotts to IN.
jure the interstate trade Of any per
son. At the last session of congress,
in an appropriation bill, some 5000.
600 was appropriated for the enforce
ment of the antitrust law, To this
appropriation, an amendment was
proposed providing that no part of the
100000 should be used in the prose.
cution of workingmen engaged in a
boycott in violation or the statute.
That Is not the way the amendment
read, but that was its necessary ef-
feet. A majority of the house after
a very heated discussion rejected the
amendment on the ground that 1t
was vicious class legislation AS a
matter of fact, the m-Iey thus pre-.
viously appropriated to enforce the
antitrust law had never been used
for the prosecution Of workingmen en-.
gagged in such boycott, because there
was no occasion for suCI use, and in
all probability the money now appro
priated will never be used for such q
purpose. But II was the proper view
Of the majority, who voted against the
amendment, that on principle such j
class exemption or privilege should
not be declared and approved in a
statute Of the government. | have not
the slightest expectation that the
money will ever be used for anything
but the prosecution of corporations
and business firms engaged in comti.
nations In restraint Of trade; but to
tie the hands of the executive against
an unlawful combination OF working.
men or of any other men, If such a
combination existed, and thus make
any group of privileged class Of
law breakers, is neither Justice nor
wisdom, nor good craftsmanship.
But it is said that am not consist
ent because | proposed to the last
congress that interstate railroad com
panies be permitted to make tempo.
rary agreements lasting for so days
and fixing uniform rates for traffic
between the same places, and to this
extent be exempted from the opera.
tion of the antitrust law. It was said
with great plausibility, You are op.
posed to exempting workingmen from
the operation Of such law, but yod
favor the exemption OF railroad com.
panies." The answer IS that. inter
statae railroads are restricted much
more closely and are under much
more minute observation by the pro,
visions Of the interstate commerce
law than they can possibly be under
the antitrust law The Interstate
commerce law thus logically makes
them q special class to be treated ~
themselves. The reason ror my rec.
ommendation was that the business
of railroads and the fixing of rates
RON .arf rra inallW he mn rvinl nst x..ft y