Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-01-24
TAFTFEARSLAb0R
IN WRONG CHANNEL
Opposed to BoIshevism, But
in Danger of 1t, He Tells
Geographic Society.

Geographic oOClety.
William Howard Taft. speaking be-
fore members of the National Geo
graphic Society at the New Masonic
Temple yesterday afternoon and last
evening said:
TT seems to me very important to
| point out that organizations OF labor,
| though sincerely opposed to bolShe-
vism, are by their proposed plans
in danger of embracing soviet meth
| DDS.
"An issue quite as wide in its scope
! and as general in it's application as
| the league of nations is that OF labor
| and capital.
| Il believe in trades unionism. be-
cause only by trades unions can JUS
| tice be secured to workingmen and
our economic system Justlned.
| "Must Keep Within Law"
But trades unions. like corpora
| tions. must be kept within the law.
| ut has occurred frequently enough
| to put the employees on suspicion that
| the employers have exercised an IN
fluence in the selection of the repre-
| sentatives of the employees, to the
! detriment of the employees.
| The moment that an employer ad-
mits the principle of trades unionism,
admits the right of men to organize
in trade unions, to protect their com
mon interest in negotiations with
their employers. he must logically
concede their right to select their
| own representatives free from any
| limitation imposed by him.
| "Of. course, an employer has the
| right to say that he will not employ
a. union man and he will discourage
| trades unionism in every way. The
| employe has the right to say that he
will not work for an employer who
employs non-union men. But such an
attitude is unsocial.
Protection Due Third Person.
! combinations between people in
| the exercise of rights that belong to
| them under the Constitution are not
secured by the same provision that
secures the right in the single per-
son.
When third persons are Injurious
ly affected by such combinations and
subjected to suffering and inconven-
fence. then it is quite within the con-
stitutional function of the legislature
| 10 denounce, as unlawful, combina-
| tions having that purpose and effect.
There was a man in the guberna-
, toral chair of Massachusetts who
pronounced the striking policemen as
| deserters and refused to condone
| their treachery.
The issue of the righteousness of
Gov. Coolidges declaration of policy
| was at once projected into a political
| campaign in which his opponent used
| against him every art of demagogu-
| cry, but the result was an over
whelming vote sustaining the gov
ernor. One cannot overstate the eff
| feet for good of this election.
Differs With Judge Gary.
Il differ with Judge Gary with re-
spect to collective bargaining, as L
have already indicated. Had that
been the only issue in this steel
strike. one holding my opinion might
not rejoice as L do in the failure OF
that strike The steel strike was sus-
tanned only by cooperation of the
alien workingmen. who were un-
I familiar with our institutions, many
| of them unable to talk our language,
and all of them out of sympathy with
our governmental system.
| "They regarded the strike as rev.
! olution, and they entered into it with
all the fever of fanaticism.
| Il would not be contemptuous OF the
dangers of the propaganda of extreme
socialism, bolshevism and anarchy
! which conditions in other countries
have forced upon US here. We need
| to be on our guard. We need to pro-
| tect ourselves against the torch and
! the bomb and so-called direct action.
But with knowledge of the ire
mendous power of the American peo-
pie to defend themselves, with conf
/, dence in their attachment to the prin-
ciples of the Constitution of the
United States and the traditions hand
ed down to us by our ancestors, OF
liberty regulated by law, we must be
careful not to yield to an hysteria and
seek by short cuts not justified by
those traditions in Riding ourselves
of dangers which should be met by
the carrying out of proper procedure
and the giving to every man his day
in court. Thus he may be heard and
no injustice done him. however much
of a miscreant and criminal he may
be.
Only Secure Procedure.
1.-The pride of the Anglo Saxon bill
of rights is not in general declara-
tions of right and justice to the indi-
viduals so much as it is in the pro-
cedure that it compels in order to Sc
cure right and justice. The guaranty
that no man shall be deprived of his
life, liberty or property without due
process of law. the jury trial, the ha-
beas corpus are not declarations for
abstract justice. They only secure
procedure that in the long run is
likely to secure justice.
Again, we should hesitate long be-
fore we curb the right of free speech
| and the right of free press, much as
| they are abused.
at is a. law of sanitation that bad
smells should not be confined within
limits. but should be released to the
| air. so that their noXiouS qualities
| NAV dlSSlpdte IN a llm1tleSS dtmOS
phere. So while We should punish
intentional and direct Indictment by
speech or writing to lawlessness,
plunder and murder. we should be
chary of dignifying the mouthings of
fanatics which only burden the air
and really bring no injurious results.
| I'VE have too long enjoyed the free
dom of our system to curtail it now.
If we curtail it against one man we
must curtail it against another. We
| cannot have one rule for anarchists
and bolshevists and the ranting So
cialist and another for those accused
of less destructive purpose. If we
strictly enforce the laws We have and
by the procedure approved in the
struggle Of centuries for liberty and
Justice, we can keep our land safe
and free and continue this govern
ment as one Of laws and not of men"