The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-09
Ex-President Raps American
FOibles Before Bankers.
Arrogant Labor and Arrogant
Capital Are Undesirable.
PURE DEMOCRACY A FAILURE
Recall System Would Have Re-
moved Abraham Lincoln.
PrOgreSSiveS Must Return to G..
o. p. in Good Faith.

Seattle, Wash, Sept 9.-"I am an
oprimist."
William Howard Taft former presi-
dent, thus closed what he termed an
economic and political summary of
the generation just closing" in a
lengthy address before the American
Bankers association today. His
speech bristled with pungent senten-
ces, as he slammed one thing after
another that appealed to him as him
dering the best development of the
American people In this category
were the initiative and referendum,
the recall, general primaries, AFRO
ant capital and arrogant labor. But
in conclusion, he declared himself an
optimiSt who could see that good
would result even from such a ca
tastrophe as the present European
war.
Paragraphs and sentences from his
speech follow:
Corporations have been driven out
of politics and while, of course, cor
ruption IS not ever absent, the danger
of plutocracy has disappeared and the
publication of politics has constituted
a real reform for which all good citi-
zens must be grateful.
Nothing is so timid as capital, and
nothing is so easily able to take care
of what it has. A hostile spirit mani
festation buttons up the pockets of
those who control wealth.
I'VE must grant increased rates to
the railroads when the conditions re-
quire it, and grant them quickly.
Millions own their stock. They en-
ploy millions of men.
I'VE should repeal the full crew
bills that impose upon the railroad
companies the burden of employing
unnecessary labor.
I'VE should know that the unions
have come to stay and to remain
g. -<1fk
community But evil tendencies have
appeared in such combination just as
unionism has tended to create dead
level of industry and skill among
wage earnerS.
but the chief ground for CRITICS.
ing the recent policy of trades unions
is the fact that the power they have
1egitimately acquired by combination
torment of their conditions, they are
now attempting to abuse by seeking
to place organized labor in a privil-
eyed class"
Dangers In Referendum.
IF 1t be true that a poole have not
information and intelligence to select
from their own number competent
and honest agents to do their work,
they certainly have not the capacity
to perform the much more difficult
task of passing useful judgment on
statutes, frequently difficult to con-
strue or understand Again, the duty
imposed upon the people in legislating
by initiative and referendum is so
much more burdensome than that
imposed by the representative system
in selecting agents to do this work
that the majority of the voters too
frequently refuse to perform their
electoral duties, and thus leave to
minority of the electorate the decis-
ion of important questions submitted
by referendum.
The business of legislation is an
expert matter. 1t Is something that
requires a knowledge of the mean
ing of legal terms
TT is Just as absurd to propose to
build a bridge without engineers, to
build q house without an architect or
a competent contractor as to propose
detailed legislation by votes at popu-
lar election.
The pure democracy attempted in
Athens proved to be a failure, and gov
ernment in those days was so much
simpler than in our cities and states
that even a temporary success in sucn
community would not justify ii re
sort to the same method now.
Under such system Lincoln Wouli
have been recalled.
What is true with respect to the
S, ate is true with respect to the parry
Parties are essential to popular gov
eminent"
The Return of Progressives.
Mr.. Taft. in a speech here last night
which he characterized as the first pc
Iitica1 talk he had made on his pres
must mean" of diSsen ng Republicans
to their party. ''They cannot involve
the old party he said, lin promotion
of those planks of the so-called Pro
g~essiVe party, adopted in 1912, which
never were and never will be support
ed by the national Republican party.
The former presidents speech was
made in the lobby of a hotel shortly
after his arrival here from San Fran
cisco, in response to an address of
welcome by the Young Mems Repub-
lican club of this city.
The placing of the Democratic
party in power he said, land the
adoption of policies to which the ma
jcrity of voters are opposed, has. /
think, startled many of the dissenting
Republicans into the conviction that
whatever the merits of the Repub-
lican fight of 1912, it is time for them
to resume their places in the Republi
can army and we all rejoice to wei
come them back.
But in the warmth of our welcome
we should not lose sight of what their
return must mean. 1t means that they
become Republicans again and that
they cannot expect to support under
the Republican party any banner but
Republican party principles, that they
cannot involve the old party in pro-
motion of those plankS of the So-called
Progressives adopted in 1912, which /
never were and never will be sup
ported by the national Republican
party.