The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-01-30
FROM AN EX-PRESIDENT.

Speaking at Providence, R. l., last month former President Taft delivered himself of his views con corning the railroad situation.
 His views are very interesting be- cause they are the views of men who have no ability whatever to see but one side of this economic con- fict
 He said among other things: Tine danger to American economic strength through the tendency of union labor to place itself above law and order is one big cloud on our horizon. The highest tribunal in the nation has been notified that unless the Adamson law is upheld the threatened railroad strike will be enforced. The address in which those pregnant remarks were issued was naturally enough before the Chamber of Commerce.
 Now President Taft intimated a fact when he said that the danger to the American economic strength lav in the ability Of the unionlst workers to strike. It is Of course unnecessary to point out that he quite subtly accused them of law lessness in doing a perfectly legal action, but that is neither here nor there Taft's candor as usual let the cat out of the bag. These are days of imperial commerclallsm' when trade reaches out beyond the confines of the flag and dominion IS sought for in foreign markets for American industry. That dominion will be greater or lesser in propor- tion as the American military and the American economic strength backs up the enterprise of Amer ican businessmen.
 Military and naval strength by iudicious waving of the flag, pre- paredness agitation and prudent ex- ercise of a patriotic propaganda can he successfully imposed upon the neople. The military and naval strength is safe. But the economlc strength is an entirely different matter. American employees now and then even in the best dominated American industries have an ugly habit of bucking the traces and un- til the waywardness of American labor is suitably curbed and well tanned and domesticatcd by prudent laws in the interest of big business the economic strength is a doubtful matter
 Assuredly the power to organize and to organize to strike is the great danger which the economic strength of the capitalists suffer from, and Taft submits that for that reason businessmen should bethink them selves of some way of curbing that power. He utters some remarks about law and order, but those are only to manure the ground so that the seed which may be sown in the intellects of those whom he addres- sed will bear fruit a thousand fold.
 Ii is under quite a less candid guise that men, with more preten- sions to fairness and impartiality than Judge Taft. have advocated the same policy under the name of h. dustrial Preparedness or some other such glittering but deadly general ity. And all so that Top Capitalism could be still further enriched at the expense of the masses of the people.
 It is not wild assertion that has recently been made that democracy is facing today more deadly dangers than ever before in the history of the country or the world. Certainly the aims and the ideals which are today finding high favor are menac- ing to a degree.
 Those ideals are uttered with free dom by Big Business which in turn has gained the support of those who formerly advocated no such policies.
 Big business, as far as Big Busi- ness is concerned, is right. Big Business knows that control of the domestic trade is absolute. but such domestic trade is as nothing to the possibilities of foreign trade. The extraordinary profits which have come from foreign trade expansion