Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-30
DEFENDS HIS VET0ES
Taft Asserts He Acted in In
tereSt of Small Concerns.
FRIEND OF BUSINESS MEN
Counts on Support of Producers and
Manufacturers and Their EN-
ployes, Whom He Protected.


American Industries for October will
print a statement by President Taft ex-
planning why he believes he will have the
support of business men and the better
element of labor in the November cleo
tfons. The President says:
II have every confidence that I will re-
ceive the support of the great army of
business men in this country and of that
large portion of labor which is employed
by these comparatively smaller concerns
and industries.
My policy has been perfectly con-
sistent and undertaking. 1 have MAIN
tanned. and the Supreme Court has up
held my contention, that combinations
effected with the purpose of acquiring
a monopoly were Illegal. And when the
Department of Justice has acquired evil
dence, of such an intent l have instruct
ed it to bring suit, and. if the evidence
warranted it, to institute criminal pro-
ceedinss.
Interests of Small Business.
I'm this policy / have been promoting
the interests of the great majority of the
comparatively smaller business men and
manufacturers Of the country, and OF
their great army of employees. The num-
Der of concerns affected by the prohibit
'tions O fthe antitrust law Is very small
when compared with the great number
of producers and manufacturers and
business men in this country whose in
terests are promoted by the strict and
impartial enforcement of that law.
THE aggregate capital of the compare
lively smaller business men, producers
and, manufacturers will far exceed that of
the so-calfed trusts, or those who may
be tempted to form trusts, and the en-
ployes of the former will far exceed
those of the latter And these smaller
business men and their employees repre-
sent the bone and sinew of the industry
of the United States. To them look for
support in the coming election because 1
have served them faithfully and have
safesuarded their interests against those
who, actuated solely by selhshness;
would have injured them.
This army of comparatively small
manufacturers, producers and business
men would be the first to suffer from
the general depression which would in
eyitably follow the victory of those who
oppose protection and advocate measures
which run the -gamut from radical tarln
reduction to absolute free trade. They
are the ones who would have suffered
most from the enactment of the ill-con-
sidered tariff bills passed by the demo-
Gratis. And they would suffer severely
from the uncontrolled combination of
business which is prohibited by the Sher-
man law"
Veto of the Tariff Bills.
Referring to his veto of the democratic
tariff bills the President said:
Take the steel bill, for example. Its
passage would not seriously have affected
the steel trust with it's vast ore holdings.
But it would have ruined hundreds of the
smaller manufacturers. AS l sought to
make plain in my. veto message, there
We're 90 Industrial concerns, scattered
through eighteen states which would
have been seriously injured by the demo-
cratic bill. Many. representatives of or
ganized labor testified that they would be
seriously injured by Its passage. and
urged me to disapprove it. Take the
manufacturers Of machine tools alone
There were 225 Of them who testified that
the provision placing machine tools on the
free list would compel them to close their
factories and to throw all their employees
out of work.
Taft's Constant Aim.
ut has been the constant and unde-
waiting aim of my administration to pro-
tect the great number of comparatively
smaller business concerns of the country
from extortion by those who have sought
to acquire monopolies on the one hand,
and from that injury which must inevita-
bly, result from the ruthless destruction
of the protective tariff on the other, and
in affOrding this protection to the employ
ers the administration has been equally
benefiting their emplyes.
These are the reasons why I believe
that, although big business may strenu-
ously oppose my reelection and may
finance with a liberal hand the campaign
funds Of my opponents, I can rely on the
support of the great army of compare
lively smaller business men and their
host of EMPLOYEES"