The Washington herald., 1910-04-10

I
bat in the fable between the eontending
forces, sometimes with one, sometimes
with the other. and in the end were cast
out and scOrned by both?'
| In beginning, the Attorney General re-
viewed the platform pledges upon which
Mr. Taft was elected.
| The Attorney General turned then 10
the anniversary Of Appomattox day,
which really was the occasion for his
speech.
Talks 20 Club.
Attorney General Wiekersham, when IN
! troduced, said:
( Gentlemen OF the Hamilton Club: Will
lam H. Taft was elected President of the
United States on a platform which pledg-
/ ed the Republican party 20 the following
programme;
! For revision OF the tariff by a spe-
ciai session Of Congress Immediately fol-
lowing the Inauguration of the next Pres
ident." the establishment Of a postal saw
/ ings bank system; the adoption OF such
amendments to the Sherman antitrust
+ law las viii give to the Federal govern
ment greater supervision and control over
aud secure greater publicity in the man
agement of that class of corporations en-
gagged in interstate commerce having
power and opportunity 10 effect monopo-
lies the amendment of the Interstate
commerce law so as to authorize traffic
agreements between railroads while main
! tanning always the principle OF compe-
tition between competing lines, and the
establishment Of such national supervis-
ion as to prevent the future overissue of
stocks and bonds by interstate carriers:
the enactment in constitutional form of
an employers liability bill; the passage
and enforcement of safety appliance acts:
the more accurate definition by statute
/ OF the rules or procedure in the Federal
courts with respect 60 the issuance of in
| functions: the systematic Improvement Of
the national waterways; the enactment
| of such legislation as Will revive the
merchant marine prestige Of the country:
legislation TO secure greater efficiency In
national public health agencies. and thS
immediate admission OF the Territories of
Arizona and New Mexico as separate
States.
New Laws Enacted.
The previous administration has been
characterized by a determined and cour-
ageous attack upon those abuses of privi-
/ lege and power upon which had been
reared aggregations Of capital whose ex-
istence and unchecked growth threatened
the stability of free Institutions.
The people had been brought to reali-
cation OF this danger. New laws 10 meet
these evils had been enacted and old laws
enforced with unwonted vigor \ higher
standard of business morality and ODE
dience to law had been set. But in the
attainment of these ends the country had
been shaken TO its foundations.
On the 9th day Of April. 1865, the ami
versary of which we are gathered here
tonight to celebrate In the Mclean farm
house at Appomattox Court House, two
great Americans exchanged those simple
but conclusive letters which terminated
one Of the bloodiest fratricidal struggles
in the history Of nations. The terms
which Gen. Grant had the previous day
advised Gen. Lee would be acceptable
were as simple and conclusive as those
which nearly half a century later Presi-
dent Taft offered to the managers Of
great trusts and monopolies.
| 1t would be a strange analogy to liken
too closely the task confronting the adj
Iministration OF President Taft Oh his &C
oession to office with the work of recon
struction following the civil war. Yet on
this anniversary Of the peace of Apo
mettox the mind naturally turns 70 many
points OF similarity in the conditions pre-
vailing IN these two different epochs The
| danger from armed resistance to consti-
tUted authority is open and manifest and
is met by simple. obvious methods.
! The dangers TO free institutions arising
! from the concentration of great wealth
and vast power in few hands are far more
| insidIOus than those arising from open re-
volt against government. and the meth
eds by which those dangers may be met
and averted are less obvious and more
subject to misunderstanding than the
work Of resisting force by force.
The administration Of President Taft
has been a little more than one year in
Office. When any administration fails to
arouse criticism and abuse, especially
from its political opponents. it is certain
that ii has ceased TO perform any other
function than the mere administration Of
the ordinary routine business Of govern
ment and has forfeited all claims TO be
considered an instrument of progress
Pledges FULFILLED.
Now. what has the Taft administration
accomplished in the first year of its ex-
istence?
In the first place, eomprehensively stat
ed. it has TO the extent Of the possible
| limits Of Executive action fulfilled every
pledge made in the Republican platform
of 1908. Largely through the efforts of the
President. there has been enacted q tariff
bill which is a distinct step toward a
lower scale of import duties and which
opens the door to the free exchange of
commerce with the Philippines BY the
enactment of the maximum and minimum
provisions of the tariff law a powerful
weapon has been placed in the hands of
our government for the protection of
American commerce with foreign coun-
| tries against unduly discriminatory prae-
tees by those governments, and yet SO
temperately and considerably has this
weapon been used that, contrary TO pre-
dictions so freely. INDUCED in when the
bill was passed, the Executive has been
enabled to apply the minimum tariff to
every country in the world with which
we have trade reiHtions.
The establishment of a tariff board has
for the first time in our national history
made provision for the scientific accumu-
lation and study of accurate information
bearing upon the questions which lie at
the foundation of our protective system,
which principles are formulated in the
RanuhIican nlatforr, Of 1908