Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-10
TAFT IN CHICAGO SPEECH DEFINES PROGRESS.
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and especially the business communities:
were reused to the necessity for action.
he said. THE great public benefit arts-
ing from this movement cannot be over
estimated. 1t put the people On guard IN
every state and in every community.
The antitrust law and the interstate
commerce acts to control law-breaking
corporations. both were passed some time
before" said Mr.. Taft.
But" he continued. 1.-THE first step
and the most important. was the stirring
Of the people to the nature Of the crisis
that they had to meet and the obstacles
they had to overcome"
The Presidents Address.
In conclusion the President pointed to
acts of his administration to prove its pro-
Fressiveness.
He said:
My fellow-citi1ens Of the Swedish
American Republican League: Fifty years
ago the heart of the nation stood still IN
dreadful anticipation Of the dire disaster
which seemed to await our northern sea-
coast from the attack of the iron monster
of the sea, the Merrimac. She had de-
stroyed our most formidable naval ships,
and nothing seemed proof against the ilre
of her guns, while every attack upon her
was utterly without effect. Just in the
~~~
succumbed to this new terror, d small iron
vessel. with no freeboard but with CEN
trail turret on O. turntable, sailed into the
Chesapeake bay, and up into those waters
that lie between Norfolk and Fortress
Monroe. There, when the Merrimac came
out the second day to complete her work,
this insignificant 'cheese box on a rart
steamed across the path or her looming
antagonist and offered battle. l need not
dwell upon the details of that contest. 1t
MO of
and when 1t closed. and the Merr1mac.
disabled and beaten Off, steamed SLOWLY
back to her moorings Of the morning.
every lover of the nation breathed more
freely, and all those In authority, from
President Lincoln down, felt that load
had been lifted from their hearts and
that victory might still come to our cause
Gratitude to Ericsson, the Swede.
The designer and builder of, the Monitor.
which vanquished the Merrimac. was a pro-
fessional naval engineer and inventor.
Born in Sweden in 1909, he came to the
United States on the invitation OF
United States naval officer in 1899,
small iron vessel with engine and crew,
designed by him and built at Birkenhead,
in England, having preceded him. He
resided in New York from 1889 until his
death in 1882 or fifty years. and in the
course of that long American life he In
vented much. But that which has made the
nation properly grateful to him, that which
has created d debt on the part of the
American nation to Swedish ingenuity, is
the invention and construction OF the
Monitor, which saved our navy, and so
saved the country in 80. / am glad to
be here to celebrate with you this event
now half a century old, and gratefully to
acknowledge on the part of the American
people what Is due from them to the race
of Gustavus Adolphus and John Ericsson.
nj, have
supported that party ia the past and pro-
pose to support 1t in the future. Pursuing
the principles for which it has always
stood, that party has guided the ship OF
state. with the exception OF two separate
terms of four years, for the half century
since the Monitor was baptized in fire.
and there is nothing in the history of the
world more inspiring than the story Of
the achievements of that party since 1867
and the progress secured by them.
Pride in the Republican Party.
Nothing excites the criticism and in
dignation of our dear old enemy. the
democratic party, so much as re-
counting Of the deeds Of the republic
can party in the last fifty years. Their
nervousness at the phrase, I'VE point
with PRIDE" used SO frequently and
so justly in republican platforms.
awakens their every effort at sarcasm
defer to this feeling on behalf OF our
democratic friends. and do not stop to
claim that the republican party Is en-
titled to the confidence OF the nation
because of the stability and progress
which it has given that nation in the
last fifty years. l agree that party
may serve the public well. and then
cease to be useful, and that 1t Is in
its performances in the immediate past
and in the probability OF its perform
ances the immediate future that we
are to md reason for its continuance
in power.
In the history of politics from time
to time new phrases are coined to
characterize new issues and new move
ments. One of the terms which has
come into constant use today Is pro
gressive.' and it is supposed to tndi-
ultra conservative" Men differ as TO
what progressive policies are. but per-
haps we can reach a definition that
will suit everybody by tracing the his
tory of the progressive movement and
it's ultimate objects.
Political History Of the Term.
During the two decades prior to 1900
this country saw an enormous expanse
in the development of it's material re-
sources, in the expansion Of its busi-
ness activities and in the increase Of
capital and wealth. During that time
the value of combinations of capital
ana or business In the legitimate pur-
pose of reducing the cost of production
Of articles of general use and neces-
sity was manifested. and the ingenuity
of business men and Of their legal adj
visers was largely absorbed in ef-
fecting profitable plans based on this
discovery. But these combinations.
while they had a legitimate purpose
and d legitimate result in reducing the
cost OF production, also offered an al
Turing temptation to the use and abuse
of great accumulations Of capital to
stifie competition. establish monopoly
and control prices. More than that, in
the whole fifty years, and especially
in the early stage of development Of
the country. when the pioneers and the
early settlers We're anxiously looking
to the development of the country, they,
by popular vote and through their
legislatures. and In all other ways,
favored the invitation to capital to
help develop the virgin territory. And
this led to the granting of chartered
privileges and of direct donations Of
land and money out of the pubic
treasury.
The money given, of course, was
spent but in many instances there
was left a burden of municipal, county
and state debt. all Of which survived
to plague the successors of those peo-
pie who had so eagerly assumed the
obligations. The vast resources, of the
country in the west which then seem
ed so cheap were parted with by the
public. TO turn up in the hands Of cor
porate agents. and to have an enor-
nous value and a monopolistic character