The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-01-26
COUNTRY SUFFERING
FROM UNWISE REFORMS
TAFT SAYS CAPITAL HAS BEEN
FRIGHTENED AND STEPS NEED
TO BE RETRACED.
PREFERS THE CONVENTION WAY
To General Primary in the Selec-
ton of Candidates. Recent Occu-
pant of White House Delivers In
teresting Address i'm Indiana.

ton of Candidates. Recent Occu-
pant of White House Delivers In
teresting Address in Indiana.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.-Declaring
that the country was hating in BUSH
ness and progress and learning that
unwise steps had been taken that
needed to be retracedl William H.
Taft, former president, said here to-
day that the people should go back
to the line of justice, equity and mod
Grafton. Professor Taft was the
guest of Indiana University and de-
livered the principal address at the
Founders Day exercises, which cele-
Ibrated the ninety-fifth anniversary
of the university.
ave need not go back to the con-
ditions that led to the great reforms
and we shall not do So" said Mr..
Taft. Corporations have been driv-
Ell out of politics, and the danger
of plutocrasy has disappeared and
the publication of politics has con-
stituted a real reform for which all
good citizens must be grateful.
Popular indignation cannot be
really aroused or the Leviathan of
the people be stirred to action, such
as they have thus taken, and stopped
short at the line of wise moderation.
Part of the costs of the original dis
ease is in the incidental damage from
the inevitable excess of remedies.
The inquisitorial and nagging char
acter of the powers of commissions,
created for the close supervision of
corporate activities, have SO fright
ened capital as to shrink investments
and stop the normal expansion in the
business of the country.
THE sad feature of such excess of
remedy" continued Mr.. Taft, how
ever well intended, is that the per-
sons who suffer most are the least
able to bear suffering-the wage
earners, whose comfort and living
are dependent upon constant employ
ment.''
The former president defended the
railroads by saying that the close and
absolute supervision over the man
agement and the restriction upon the.
rates, together with the increase or
maintenance "of wages through the
power of trade unions, have ground
the railroads between the upper and
neither milestone and prevented fair
return upon their capital"
Prof. 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 cor
huption or political machine rule and
the selection of better representative
of party.
Mr.. Taft admitted that there were
abuses under the convention system,
but even at that it is more preferable
in many ways than a general prima-
ry. He criticised the initiative. refer
endum and the recall, especially de-@
ploring the idea of the recall Of
judges.
Referring to the European war he
said that it ''staggers the magma
ton in the loss of life and destruction
of hard earned capital. We find occa-
sion for hope, however, that the va
rious sufferings, when the war is
over, will prompt the adoption of
some peaceable means of settling in
ternational disputes in order to pre-
vent a recurrence Of such an awful
catastrophe"