Smyrna times., 1910-02-16
OBEY LAW
DECLARES TAFT
The President Gives Answer
to Wall Street.
HIS DUTY TO ENFORCE LAW

Declares Administration VIII Not Wan.
tonly Destroy Values, But Business
Methods Must Be Changed to Con-
form to Statutes.
New York, Feb. 14.-"If the enforce.
ment of the law is not consistent with
the present method of carrying on
business, then it does not speak we'll
for the present methods of conduct
ing business, and they must be chang
ed to conform to the law"
This was President Taft's answer to
Wall street and it's cry of panic" II
was made to a cheering audience of
hundreds of prominent Republicans
gathered at the annual Lincoln day
dinner of the Republican club of this
city. at the Waldorf-AstOria. Governor
Hughes shared the honors of the even
ing with him.
The president adhered to his pur-
pose of discussing platform pledges
and how they should be kept. 1t was at
the conclusion of a detailed argument
as to how he believed the Republican
party was redeeming it's pledges that
he came to a discussion of the anti
trust law and Wall street, on which
his utterances had been awaited with
the greatest interest.
The president declared that the ad-
ministratiOn would not "foOlishly run
amuck in business and destroy values
and confidence just for the pleasure
of doing So" mo one," he continued
has a motive as strong as the ad
ministration in power to cultivate and
strengthen business confidence and
prosperity.
"But there was no promise on the
part of the Republican party tt
change the antitrust law except tC
strengthen it," he said. "Of course
the government at Washington can bt
counted on to enforce the law in thu
way best calculated to prevent a de
struction of public confidence in busi
ness. but that it must enforce the Law
goes without saying"
President Taft did not hesitate T.
discuss the attacks that have beel
made upon the administration and tn
party or the danger to future success
in the insurgent movement and 9th"
dissensions. Republicans who feare
defeat at the polls in November. h
declared, however, should. take coul
age from the demOralized condition c
their opponents, the Democrats.
"It was Grant" said the presiden
amid a wbirlwind of laughter. "wh
banished hts own fear in battle b
thinking how much more afraid tn
enemy was"
In coming to the defense of tn
T Payle- Aldrich tariff bill, he did M
/ hesitate. he said, to repeat that it SUI
c stantially complied with the part
4 pledge for tariff revision and tha
> through this bill, the party had "s'
e itself strongly in the right direction
q toward lower tariffs"
The president brought statistics I'M
d his ar~p0'or+ to demonstrate that. d.
It ing the fret six months of the ne
1t tariff low there has been shown a
o per cen -cducti~n in the percental
2. ad valoren I" ios have paid on l.
it ports ard - per cent increase
4 the per cont Of Imports admitted fire
!. Time en1 wider knowledge,
n thought. would serve to justify Il
n bill.
I Revi"'"ir" the party platform, Il
president spoke of postal savin
a, banks. amendments to the intersta
n commerce law, the antiinjunctit
ii plank, statehood for Arizona and Ne
lie Mexico and the conservation of n;
'e ural resources. bilsl to carry all
to which promises into effect were per
n ing in congress and he believed wou
he be passed.
q