Arizona republican., 1915-09-10
HALTING NATION
 IN ITS PROGRESS
Says Hostility of Legisla- ? lures and Congress Has Been Directed Against Successful Investment of Capital.

SEATTLE. Wash, Sept. 9-Former President William H. Taft today told the American Bankers association in convention here, that practically all of the railroad reforms attempted in connection with politics, railroads and big business had failed of their pur- pose, causing the nation to halt in it's progress, and that there must now be a "retracing in the line of moderation and justice"
 In giving an economic and political summary of the generation just closed" MT. Taft said that the latest outstanding feature appeared to be the widespread growth of the spirit of the brotherhood of man, despite the fact that the war had shattered the dreams of universal peace.
 In his opening remarks, MT. Taft outlined the growth of large combi- nations in business; their successful adaptation to politics. and how the chase for the dollar had absorbed all the people until they suddenly re- alized they were almost in the grasp of a plutocracy It was then that agitation for reforms swept the coun- try he said, and public indignation became acute.
 The leviathan of the people can not be stirred to such action as has been taken and stop short at the line of moderation,' said MT. Taft. "The hostility of legislatures and congress came to be directed against all sue cessful investment of capital without discrimination. Nothing is so timid as capital, and nothing is so easily able to take care of what ii has"
 He then said that a deplorable feat ure of such excess of remedy was that the wage earners suffered most.
 The close and absolute supervision over the management of railroads" said MT. Taft. and the restriction upon the rates charged by them in interstate commerce and in commerce within states, together with the in crease in cost of maintenance and of wages through the efforts of labor unions has ground the railroads be- tween the upper and neither millstones. All this is to the detriment of the business of the country, and espec- ialIy to the comfort and happiness of the wage earners, dependent on nor maj business and normal demand for labor.
 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 reason why we should not indulge in excess.
 We must promptly grant increased rates to the railroads when conditions require 1t. We must not allow the outrageous injustice to continue by which we inaugurate the real reform of parcels post, and do it at the cost of the railroads by compelling them to carry the enormous increase of traffic for nothing. We should repeal the full crew bills that impose upon the railroads the burden of employing labor. In curing these excesses there is no reason why we should not retain the real progress we have made in dethroning plutocracy.'
 MT. Taft said that conditions iden- tical with those affecting the railroads were to be found in all lines of busi- ness where large combinations or in Vestment have been made.
 Another most important develop ment in this country has been an at tack upon our representative sSSteLi of government as cause of the cor porate and corrupt control or poltlCS' fl was said that the system involved the selection of agents by the people to act for them in executive ana leg islative work who too often proved faithless and that the only method or carrying on the government sately was to dispense with legislative agents and let the people legislate directly.
 "A most formidable wave Of public opinion in favor of such change
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