Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-04-06
RAILROAD men
LISTEN TO TAFT
President Says He Believes In
Labor Organizations
CONSIDERS THEM NECESSARY


Law-Taft Spends Busy Day In the
Heart of the Bay State
Worcester, Mass April 4.--Presi-
dent Taft put in busy Sunday with
a visit to Aunt Della" Torrey and
the scenes of many boyhood reminis
cences at Millbury and an address
here before the joint meeting Of the
brotherhCods in train service-a mass
meeting of nearly 1000 railroad en-
ployes--at Mechanics hall.
The president declared that he be-
lieved in labor organizations.
But as chief magistrate of the ma
ton he added he believed also in the
right of every man to labor as he will,
to earn the wages that he will and, if
he chooses, to stay out of labor or
CARNATIONS.
The presidents first assertion was
greeted with wild outburst of ap-
plause. His second statement re-
ceived only a scattering response.
Later, however, the president again
aroused the railroad men to enthusi-
asm by saying he believed their or
CARNATIONS were necessary to deal
with organizations of capital and by
detailing his deep interest in legisla-
ton looking to further requirements
of safety appliances and the liability
of the employer.
IF there is one thing I hate it is
sham, hypocrisy and fraud in repre-
senting virtue when it does not ex-
list, ;" said the president.
Il put labor organizations above
everything, the right of every man to
labor as he will, to earn the wages
that he will and, if he chooses, to
stay out of labor organizations.
You do not believe, neither do 1,
in boycotting. You do not believe in
the sympathetic strike, neither do I,
because it is a blind movement that
never accomplishes anything"
In his rather informal talk the
president laid stress on the legislation
now pending in congress for the pro-
lection of railroad men and impressed
his hearers with the fact that what
hurt the railroads hurt the men en-
ployed He spoke for the passage of
a statute that would so define the is
sue of injunctions as to assure no i'll
advised use Of it in the future His
best assurance that it was good law
he said, was that it was called unsat-
!, isfactOry by his friend Gompers ant
. vicious by Van CleVe for the CAPT
| talists
While the president was speaking
on the hope that the amendments tt
the employers liability law would gC
through, a telegram was handed tt
him which said the bill had passed
the senate and the house. He prom
ised then and there to sign the bill
The president left this city las
night, his special car being attached
to the $40 boat train for New Lon
don, whence he will continue OF
toward Washington. During thu
eleven hours he spent in this section
he met many Of his relatives AM
" friends among the people of Millbur.
at his aunt's home, went to church
in the morning and besides being tn,
e central figure in a monster parade il
: his honor talked for over an hour tt
the railroad men in convention as
, sembled at Mechanics hall.
d Everything combined to make hi
4 -stay an eventful one. A warm sprins
sun bathed his old homestead in it!
brightest colors. He was with hi.
aunt, for whom he has great love
and as the nephew of the lovable aged
New England woman he took part il
the services in the church he had at.
tended as a boy.
Again, the official part of the day
went off without a single hitch. Mill
bury turned out to meet him, anC
with details of police, firemen, a dele
cation of Grand Army men and the
local band, did all the town could tt
show it's love and respect for its emf
nent guest.
When he was taken in hard by the
committee of the train service mer
dIIu UGSdu Iu6II part Vi The Qay the
automobile parade which escorted hin
from Millbury to this city started on
time and arrived promptly on sched-
ule time at Mechanics hall.
But not before the citizens of the
entire countryside had cheered the
president on his route time and again
and churches and organizations had
made successful attempts to brighten
the day by pleasing incidents. The
climax of the day came in Mechanics
hall, when, after being presented with
jewel by his hosts, the president
talked straight out, . as he put it, to
over 1000 of the railroad men. He
said he had seized the opportunity to
be present, and his eargerness and
pleasure was reflected in his happy
choice of subjects.
His almost every sentence was
punctuated with applause. When he
said that he would say many things