Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-05-27
PRESIDENT TAFT IS
WARMLYGREETED HERE
tContinuod from page IL

-NN 49, ANNAS "oN'A@ 49,
and my administration in order hat
you may not be misled as to the
real issue that is now pending be-
fore you, and to be voted on to-
morrow. Originally, the issue was
whether you would approve my ad-
! ministration or not as Republicans.
-Four years ago l was elected on
a platform that promised definite
reforms for the people. Under the
Government of the United States at
Washington the workingmen who
come chiefly within its jurisdiction
are the railroad employees, those who
work upon interstate commerce rail-
roads, and to them we agreed to
give a good deal Of legislation, all
of which has been enacted, and some
new projected.
I'm the first place, we gave them
two safety appliance acts, n enab-
ling the Interstate Commerce Com
mission to frame and decide the
character of the ladder, and the
character of those other things up
on whose strength and adaptability
the lives of so many mon depend.
Secondly we provided for boiler
inspection-the inspection of loco
motive boilers of all the locomo-
tives of the United States in order
to protect the engineers and the fire.
men and others exposed whenever
explosions take place.
Then we passed the employers
liability act, an act which enables
the employees to bring suit against a
railroad company and not meet the
defense of fellow servant or of con-
tributory negligence. And now we
are just passing what is known as
the workman's compensation act,
which changes the policy Of the EN-
ployer toward the employee by re-
curing him to insure the lives and
limbs of his employe against acct
dent in a dangerous employment.
THAT has now passed the Senate,
and l have every reason to believe
that it will pass the House.
Then we stamped out Of exist
ence the making of the white phos-
phorous matches because they re-
suited in such dreadful diseases to
those engaged In their manufacture.
Then we adopted the mining bu-
reau bill, to expend hundreds of
thousands Of dollars and to use the
| jest GhOIJb Oh Ilt UpSl eSDSElS OIL
the country to determine what It Is
that leads to mining explosions and
to suggest remedies by which those
awful accidents can be avoided
which have hurried thousands of
lives into eternity without notice.
Then my friends, in addition to
that, in general legislation we pass
ed a tariff bill which changed a de-
felt in Mr.. Rooseyelt's Lass year OF
$50 100000 to a surplus of $40
100000, as the result of my first
year, and we have had a surplus ever
since.
I'VE passed the railroad bill tax
ing over the railroads more COM
pletely under the Interstate Com
merce Commission than ever before.
I'VE passed the pension bill, in
creasing the old age pensions for
pensioners from 81 to 76, according
to their service in the civil war and
the age of the pensioner.
I'VE passed the conservation bill
enabling me to take away from ex-
ploitation by private capital and by
settlement, 100, 900, 900 acres cover
ing coal, phosphate measures and
water power sites. Many of these
things were In accordance with the
platform. Others were in addition
to 1t, but l have performed the con
tract which / made with the people
of the United States in hat regard.
I'VE have executed the laws. We
have had no favorites. We have ex-
ecuted the customs laws, and col
lected $4,000, 600 from the sugar
trust for cheating the government.
Il have enforced the antitrust
law, and I have made not fish Of one
and fowl of the other, but everyone
who has violated the law has been
punished.
Now under hat record l am here
to ask why you should not give your
approval to this administration as
a Republican administration. I
think you would have done SO clear
ly and without question if Mr..
Roosevelt had not interviewed, and
now the question is whether his in
tervention ought to prevent your
doing so. ! say no because his can
didacy presents a danger to this Re
public that you will realize if he Is
at all successful, as l believe in my
heart he will not be.
III tle uTSL place, ne advocates
a principle of constitutional law that
is utterly at variance with every
thing we have known in the past.
Those of you who have come from
abroad will realizee If you have
looked into the structure of this
government, that the popularity of
this Government is thep rejection Of
the individual in his individual
rights against everybody. A gov
eminent like ours-a popular ov-
eminent, is for the greatest good of
the greatest number to be sought
through the happiness of the indi-
Yidual and the preervation of his
constitutional rights. and what are
those rights? The right to life, lib
erty and property and the pursuit of
happiness, and that includes the
right by which you hold your wife
and she holds you, and you both
have your children and hold them,
and how Is that secured? First, by
the declaration in the constitution,
and second by the action Of an in
dependent Judiciary, 30 hat though
a majority OF all the people desire
you to be deprived of your liberty,
you may still go into court and ask
that you be projected, against 100,-
600 men II nee be, and If necessary
the court calls upon the Executive
with the army and the navy to pro-