New Britain herald., 1915-01-21
EXCESS OF REMEDIES.
 DECLARES PROF. TAFT
Country RaIting IH business and
 Progress, Says Former President. COMES 10 RAILROADS DEFENSE
Claims Restriction of Rates and In- crease of Wages Through Power of Trades Unions Threaten Solyency of Some Roads.

Of Some Roads.
 Bloomington, Ind, Jan. 21.-De- claring that the country was halt ing in business and progress and learning the unWise steps that had been taken and needed to be re- traced, William H. Taft, former president, said here today that the people should go back to the line of justice, equity and moderation. Professor Taft was the guest of In diana university and delivered the principal address at the Founders Day exercises, which celebrated the ninety-fifth anniversary of the uni versity.
 We need not go back to the con- ditions that led to the great reforms and we shall not do so," said MT. Taft. Corporations have been driven out of politics and, while, of course, corruption is not ever ab- sent, the danger of plutocracy has disappeared and the purifcation of politics has constituted a real re- form for which all good citizens must be grateful.
 LASSSS oI INculcOICS.
 Popular indignation cannot be really aroused or the deviation of the people be stirred to action such they have thus taken, and stopped short at the line of wise modera- tion. Part of the costs of the orig inal disease is in the incidental dam age from the inevitable excess of remedies. The hostility of legisla- lures and congress, consciously or un- consciously, has come to be directed against all successful investment or capital without discrimination. Moth ing is so timid as capital and noth- ing is so easily able to take care of what 1t has. The inquisitorial and nagging character of the powers of commissions, created for the close supervision of corporate activities have So frightened capital as to shrink investments and stop the nor mai expansion in the business of the country.
 ''The sad feature of such excess of remedy" continued MT. Taft, however well intended, is that the persons who suffer most are the least able to bear suffering-the wage earners. whose comfort and living are dependent upon constant employment
 Defends Railroad System.
 The former president defended the railroads by saying that the close and absolute supervision over the manage ment and the restriction upon the rates, together with the increase or maintenance" of wages through the power of trades unions, have ground the railroads between the upper and nether m1llstone and prevented a fair return upon their capital. The sol- Vency of some of them is threatened, and all this to the detriment of the business of the country and especially to the comfort and happiness of wage earners, dependent upon normal busi- ness and normal demand for labor"
 Increased rates for the railroads, when the conditions require it, was urged by MT. Taft He said the full crew laws that Imposed upon the railroad companies the burden of employing unnecessary labor, an exaction due to the undue and unjust influence exercised by the trade unions over legislatures" should be repealed.
 Criticises New Reforms.
 Professor Taft criticised many of the new reforms in governmental affairs and declared that the selection of candidates at a general primary has not tended to the elimination of corruption political machine rule and the selection of better represen- tatives of a party.
 Certainly it has not" said MT. Taft, with respect to the many of fees to which it applies, when the persons to be selected are not persons ,,rHo lFrnf ifa,,r
 the nature of things have any in timate knowledge. The standard of iudg in those states where the can didates are selected by a general pri- mary have notably and perceptiby become inferior to those who were selected under the old convention sys- tenn"
 Abuses Under System.
 MT. Taft said he admitted that there were abuses under the conven- tion system, but even at that it is more preferable in many ways than a general primary. He also criti- cised the initiative, referendum, and 1 the recall especially deploring the | idea of the recall of judges.
 In referring to the European war, l MT. Taft said that it "staggers the | imagination in the loss of life and de- struction of hard earned capital. | When it came, it was such shock ! and such Il disa ppointment that those l who hoped for human progress lost ! their faith We lind occasion for | hope. however. from the various suf- l fering4, which when the war is over. l will prompt the adoption of some ! pea cea ble means of settling interna- | tional disputes in order to prevent a 1 recurrence of such an awful catas- trophe"