Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-03
TAFT A GROWING FORCE
THE growing influence of former
President Taft as a great po-

-HE growing influence of former
- litical force in the nation is
one of the notable features of the
wars developments. In every respect
his conduct has been admirable and
his leadership has been consecrdted
to the winning of the great conflict
above all else. Instead of grieving
over his defeat in 1912, he has risen
above it, and developed from it a
strength of character and sanity
of outlook that have impressed the
whole nation with the bigness of the
man and have been a tower of
strength to the national government
in time of greatest stress.
There is not one small Characters
tic about Taft. He is as big mental
ly and as broad in his views as ne
is large physically. From the very
beginning, his own cry has been to
win the war; regardless of all else.
We might be much farther along
toward that end had some others at
Washington been as liberal and as
quick TO lay aside partisanism for
patriotism as was MIR. Taft.
Commenting upon the services of
the former President in formulating
program for the prevention of la
Dor troubles during the period of
the war. the Philadelphia Public
Ledger comments in this wise:
The Industrial millennium has
not come. But in the midst of
strikes and rumors of strikes
American labor. engaged on war
contracts aggregating more bill
lions and millions than the Lib
erty Loans, has agreed to sur
render its heavy weapon of the
right to quit work and American
employers have yielded recogni-
tion to labor's right of collec-
tive bargaining. Frank p. Walsh,
the neutral representative for
the labor group of the War La
Dor Conference under Secretary
Wilson, ascribes this triumph TO
the liberal leadership of eX-
President William IL. Taft, who
acts as the neutral representative
for the employers.
Hitherto labor throughout the
Union has been nut one-tenth or
ganiZed. By reason of this COM
| organized, as it is organized in
! Great Britain. Employers every
where who have looked askance
! at labor's representatives, or, as
| in the case of the mighty Steel
Corporation, have maintained
the closed non-union shop, will
learn at sittings with shop COM
| mittees that you cannot hate q
! man you know"
The compact has been made: it
lacks only the confirming sigma
! lures of the Secretary of Labor
and President Wilson It's ma
chinery of fulhllment will then
be set in motion. The ominous
threats of labor war now sound
ing from all parts of the coun-
try-like that of the, strike of
district. reported this morning
| will quickly die away.
| There shall be no strikes or
| lockouts henceforth during the
| war. The right to organize is
collectively through chosen rep
resentatives of both capital and
| labor is mutually recognized.
Employers shall not discharge
workers for membership or
the workers shall not force non
unionists into their organiza-
! tions
If Mr.. Taft rested his war record
on this achievement alone. he might
very properly be assigned place
in history as one of the great rac.
tors in winning the war for de.
mocracy. But he has done more-so
much more that it is impossible
briefly to outline the scope of his