The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1910-09-09
PRESIDENT TAFT IN
PRAISE OF ROOSEVELT
Addresses the Conservation Con-
gresS at ST. Paul.

Ten thousand people heard Mr. Taft
speak on conservation at St Paul at
the Auditorium, and $4,000 more at the
state fair grounds gave their approval
by cheers and waving of flags, and
scores of thousands of others lined
the pavements over which Mr.. Taft
whirled, declared it, too, i'll no uncer
tain fashion. In the hotel Hobbies
where the politician congregate the
verdict was: He made great speech
a. the conservation congress"
The shadow of Mr.. Roosevelt, who
comes to talk to the conservators to-
day did not stalk aefore. Mr. Taft
praised him freely, frequently and in
unstinted terms. The first mention of
the colonePs name brought cheers
long enough and strong enough to
make the president pause, but that
was all. His own entrance into ST.
Paul and late last night into Mime
apolis, and his appearance at the con.
servation congress brought forth Gp-
plause that surpassed that given for
Col. Roosevelt
To the conservators the president
laid down the administration policy.
He set it out unequivocally, praising
the work of his predecessor where he
thought it ought to be praised, and
damming some of the conservation
policies of the colonel's administration
in the next sentence. Mr.. Taft lodged
once. He left to congress the decision
of the question as 10 whether or not
water power sites shall be controlled
by the general government or by the
state government
At the state fair grounds the presi-
dent made an attempt to conciliate the
labor unions. He was speaking to a
Labor Day crowd. He was blunt when
was opposed to it.
But there is a kind of legislation"
he said, (which l refer that does
not come under the head of vicious
class legislation, and / hope / can
make the distinction clear between
this and what l have been describing.
A number of statutes have been passed
in the states against combinations or
conspiracies to restrain trade, to sup
press competition, or to maintain
prices; and there has been some times
an attempt to insert in such statutes
a proviso or section exempting farm
ers or other classes from operation
of the statutes, so as to enable the
exempt classes to corner products and
raise prices while no other class in
the community can do so. The SUI
preme court has held that such law
gives undue privilege to particular
class in the community, creates an
unjust exemption from the operation
of a useful law, denies the equal pro-
lection of the laws, violates the con-
stitution and is invalid.
Again the federal antitrust law has
been held by the supreme court to de-
nounce combinations to Obstruct or re-
strain interstate trade, and to prohibit,
therefore, illegal boycotts to injure the
Interstate trade of any person. In
the last session of congress in an ap-
preparation bill some 100000 was ap-
propriated for the enforcement of the
antitrust law. To this appropriation
an amendment was proposed providing
that no part of the 100000 should be
used in the prosecution of working
men engaged in boycott in violation
of the statute. That is not the way
the amendment read, but that was it's
necessary effect. The majority of the
house after a very heated discussion
rejected the amendment on the
ground that it was vicious class legis-
lation."
With Mr.. Taft at his two public ap-
pearances were Senator Clapp and
Senator Knute Nelson, of Minnesota;
Gov Brady, of Idaho; Congressman
Madison of Kansas, and Senator Suth-
erland of Utah. The president left ST
Paul in the private car Mayfiower at
S:15 last night for Chicago and
Beverly.