The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-09-09
RADICAL REFORMS
NEARLY ALL FAILED
And People Of United States Must Now
Go Back to Methods OF "Modera-
tion and Justice" Declares
Ex-President Taft.

lean Bankers association, in conventio
here, that practically all of the radica
reforms attempted in connection wit
politics, railroads and "big business" ha'
failed of their purpose, causing the ma
tion to halt in its progress, and tina
there must now be "retracing to tn
line of moderation and justice"
In giving an economic and politica
summary OF the generation just closing,
Mr.. Taft said that the latest outstand
. ing feature appeared to be the widespread
growth of the spirit of the brotherhood
of man, despite the fact that the wal
had shattered the dreams of universal
peace.
In his opening remarks Mr.. Taft out.
lined the growth of large combinations
in business; their successful adoption To
politics, and how the "ehase for the dol.
lar" had absorbed all the people until
they suddenly realized they were almost
IN the grasp of a plutocracy. 1t was
then that agitation for reforms swept
the country, he said, and public indigna.
tion became acute.
The leyiathan of the people cannot be
stirred to such action as has been taken
and stop short at the line of moderation"
said Mr.. Taft. "The hostility of legis.
latures and Congress came to be directed
against all successful investment of cap
ital without discrimination. Nothing is
so timid as capital, and nothing Is so
easily able to take care of what it has,
He then said that deplorable feature
Iof such excess OF remedy was that the
wage .earners suffered most.
"The close and absolute supervision
over the management of railroads." said
Mr.. Taft, "and the restriction upon the
rates charged by them in interstate com
merce and in commerce within states,
together with the increase in cost of
maintenance and of wages through the
efforts of labor unions has ground the
railroads between the upper and neither
millstones. All this is to the detriment
of the business of the country, and espe-
cially to the comfort and happiness of
the wage -earners dependent on normal
business and normal demand for labor.
1--WE are all in the same boat. The |
prosperity of one class is dependent on |
the prosperity of all. This is no reason |
why we should not repress injustice and |
punish abuse of power. But it is a rea
SON why we should not indulge in ex-
cess.
"Ne must promptly grant increased
rates to the railroads when conditions
require il. We must not allow the out
rageous injustice to continue by which
we inaugurate the real reform of parcels
post, and do 1t at the cost of the rail
roads by compelling them to carry the
enormous increase of traffic Tor nothing
We should repeal the full crew bills that
impose upon the railroads the burden of
unnecessary labor. In curing 1
these excesses there is no reason why we
should not retain the real progress we 1
have made in dethroning plutocracy."
Mr.. Taft said that conditions identical
with those affecting the railroads were
10 be found in all lines of business where i
arge combinations of investment have 4
been made. a
Another most important development
n this country has been an attack upon !
,ur representative system of government I
IS cause of the corporate and corrupt n
ontrol OF politics. Ii was said that the I
ystem involved the selection OF agents D
~ the people TO act for them in execu I
i've and legislative work who too often
'roved fsithless and that the only meth a
ID of carrying on the government safely Ii,
vas to dispense with legislative agents 4
nd let the people legislate directly. 4
"A most formidable wave of public O
pinion in favor of such a change swept "a
be country and found expression in the "
initiative and the referendum. After a il
tudy Of the working of these innoya- "a
ions. do not hesitate TO say that it IL
roves the unwisdom of such changes. In
Il be true that a people have not in al
and intelligence TO select from ii
heir own number competent and honest
gents TO do their work, they certainly m
ave not the capacity 10 perform the y
uch more difficult task OF passing useful n
alignment on statutes, frequently difficult OF
} construe OF understand. Again, the sc
aty imposed upon the people in legislat III
* by initiative and referendum is so
uch more burdensome than that inn I'M
Dsed by the representative system in Of
'lecting agents 10 do this work that the or
q iority OF the voters too frequently re- mi
lse 10 perform their electoral duties. il,
The institution Of recall deals with re-
ie executive and judicial branches OF vi
Ie government. With both its opera an
on is injurious TO the public service, IN
Iough in the case Of judges il Is much cia
ore dangerous. OF
IF an executive officer j. dishonest be
a in effect be recalled by impeachment en-
by criminal trial and conviction, and II
sentenced 10 the peniteutiary. Under tui
= new system Of recall an honest Off soi
H. before he has time 30 work out and thi
Indicate bic policies, may b. ousted by
ambitious rival through misrcpresen. :
ton IN the press and the hasty judg
mt u the minority Of the electorate
10 90 10 the polls. Under such = sys- n
N Lincoln would have been recalled.
Z The evil Of the recall Of judges and
licial decisions i. however. much great
The tenure Of . judge o. the right
the individual litiRsnfs il 20 depend
the chance and uncertainty Of one
puiar election. In the nature 81 the
=. the people cannot b. advised Of
, legal arguments pro and con even II
~ oouid understand them Again the
sTer # reckless press would b. en-