Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1909 — TAFT IS GUEST OF MILWAUKEE [ARTICLE]

TAFT IS GUEST OF MILWAUKEE

Unionism Is Discussed by President In Chicago. HE GREETS BASEBALL PLAYERS

Sees the Cubs, With Brown Pitching, Defeated by the Giants, With Mathewson on the Mound—His Address Includes an Arraignment of the Methods of Administering the Civil as Well as the Criminal Law and a Promise That He Will Ask Congress to Reform the Courts.

Milwaukee. Sept. 17.—President Taft today is hearing the cheers of the good people of Milwaykee. He arrived in the morning, leaving Chicago on a train that left the breezy city several hours after midnight. He was the guest of honor at the Wisconsin state fair. A special program had been arranged to make es--1 peclally notable the visit of the nation's chief. | In Chicago the president started the game of the Cubs and the Giants. The executive went down on the field, shook hands with the players of , both teams, expressed his delight when he learned that Brown and Mathewson, famous rivals for pitching honors, were to twirl, and with the 1 words, “May the best team win,” the guest of the day went back to the stand to enjoy every moment of the 1 great baseball battle. The crowd at the “double attraction” numbered more than 30,000 persons. New York won by a score of 2 to 1. Cowboy Greets the President. ! Among those with the president were Governor Deneen, Chief of Police Steward, Assistant Chief Schuettler and Lieutenant Andy Rohan. No sooner had Taft retired from the field after greeting the players than a commotion sent that section of the stand in a turmoil. This was the arrival of Edward O’Reilly, who had rid den horseback all the way from San Antonio, Tex., to place a message in the hands of the president. The cowboy made a picturesque ap pearance as he stood with sombrero in hand before the cheering multitude. With clinking spurs and scarlet neck erchief waving in the breeze, he passed through the crowded aisles and gave the letter to Taft. In a luncheon speech Taft said: "There is one thing that I wish to say and that is that I thank God for being the president or the United 1 States. I “The reason that I thank God that |1 am president of the United States is because it has given' me the oppor- ! tunity of receiving this welcome. I "The welcome given me by the 150,000 school children along the line of march and on the beautiful avenues will ring in my ears forever, f “It was easy to see that there was Jlttle of the personal in the welcome and all of respect for the office which I hold.” In his night speech at Orchestra hall, Taft said: ! “You will remember, perhaps, that the head of the Federation of Labor, who. had declared for my opponent, was anxious to carry the whole union labor vote against me, and as the ground for his action was my decisions as a judge, I was put under the burden which I think no other candidate for the presidency ever had to bear of ex plaining and defending in a political contest the decisions which I had made as a judge upon the bench. “Labor Men Think For Themselves.” “It was assumed by many, who thought themselves familiar with the situation, that I would lose a large part of vote, which had theretofore been evenly divided between tim Republicans and the Democrats The result showed that this assumption was incorrect and that labor menunion labor as well as non-union labor men—thought for themselves, voted according to their own judgment, and declined to be delivered as a body to one party or the other. “In the discussions I asserted that I was as much interested as any one in maintaining the cause of labor, when labor, organized or unorganized, by proper methods sought to better its condition by legislation or otherwise. I said that I expected to recommend to congress, if I were elected, that interstate railroads be required to adopt any additional devices found useful for the purpose of saving from loss of life or limb employes engaged in the dangerous business of railroading. “I also said that I favored the adoption of legislation looking to a proper definition of the cases in which preliminary Injunctions might issue without notice and defining the proper procedure in such matters. I want to take this opportunity of saying that I have not forgotten my own promises or those of the platform, and I propose in the next session of congress to recommend the legislation on the subject of injunction which was promised in the Republican platform, and to Bee whether by such legislation it is not possible to avoid even a few cases of abuses that can be cited against the federal courts. “I do not think trades unionism was greatly aid'd by the attempt to drag all organised labor Into politics, and to

-- . «t| I" QRTuce It to vote one way; but that does not prevent my placing a proper estimate upon the Immense good for labor in genehil which its organization and its efforts to secure higher wages have accomplished. “I know there is an element amone employers of labor and investors of capital which is utterly opposed to the organization of labor. I cannot sympathize with this element in the slightest degree. I think it is a wise course for laborers to unite to defend their interests. It is a wise course for them to provide a fund by which, should occaslon arise and strikes or lockouts follow, those who lose their places may be supported pending an adjustment of the difficulties. I think the employer who declines to deal with organized labor and to recognize It as a proper element in the settlement of wage controversies is behind the times. There is not the sliehest doubt that if labor had remained unorganized, wages would be very much lower. Speaks of Man Outside of Union. . “There is a higher standard of living among American laborers «than in any country in the world, and while there have doubtless been a good many other reasons for this, certainly the effect of the organization of labor has been to maintain a steady and high rate of wages making such a standard of living possible. “Nothing I have said or shall say should be construed into an attitude of criticism against or unfriendliness to those workingmen who for any reason do not join unions. Their right to labor for such wages as they choose to accept is sacred and any lawless invasion of that right cannot be too severely condemned.

“The effect of organized labor upon such abuses as the employment of child labor, as the exposure of laborers to undue risk in dangerous employments, to the continuance of unjust rules of law exempting employers,from liability for accidents to laborers, has been direct, immediate and useful. Of course, when organized labor permits itself to sympathize with violent methods, with breaches of the law, with boycotts and other methods of undue duress, it is not entitled to our sympathy.” Says Socialism Would Be Bad. “One notable defect which has been pointed out has been in tbe disposition of the majority of members in labor unions to reduce the compensation of all men engaged in a particular trade to a level and to fail to recognize the difference between the highly skilled and very industrious workmen and the one only less skilled and less industrious.

“I - think that there Is a movement among trades unions themselves to correct this leveling tendency, and nothing could strengthen the movement more than the adoption of some plan by which there should remain among union workmen the impetus and motive to be found in the greater reward for greater skill and greater industry. “I need not point out the deplorable results in this country if trades union ism became a synonym for socialism. Those who are now In active control, the Federation of Labor and all the great railroad organizations, have set their faces like flint against the propagandism of socialistic principles. “There Is no subject upon which I feel so deeply as upon the necessity for reform in the administration of both Civil and criminal law. To sum it all up in one phrase, the difficulty In both is undue delay. "It is not toe much to say that the administration of criminal law in this country is a disgrace to our civilization, and that the prevalence of crime and fraud, which here is greatly in ex cess of that in the European countries, is due largely to the failure of the law and its administrators to bring criminals to justice. Recommends Action by Congress. "But reform in our criminal procedure is not the only reform that we ought to have in our courts. On the civil side of the courts there is undue delay and this always works for the benefit of the man with the longest purse. What the poor mgn needs is a prompt decision of his case and by limiting the appeals in cases involving small amounts of money so that there shall be a final decision in the lower court, an opportunity is given to the poor litigant to secure a judgment In time to enjoy it and not after he has exhausted all his resources in litigating to the supreme court. “I conceive that the situation is now < ripe for the appointment of a commission by congress to take up the question of the law’s delays in the federal courtß and to report a system which shall not only, secure quick and cheap justice to the litigants in the federal courts, but shall offer a model to the legislators and courts of the states by the use of which they can themselves Institute reforms. “I would abolish altogether the system of pavment of court officers by fees. “Of all the questions that are before the America people I regard no one as more important than this, to-wlt: the improvement of the administration of Justice. “Entering Upon Era of Prosperity.” “We are entering now upon an era of prosperity which I hope will be long continued. We have Just passed a tariff bill which has ended for the time the disturbance of business that always arises froiq the consideration and agitation over such a bill, and there is nothing now to prevent the ap- 1 plication of all tbe capital and all , the forces which have been- suspended for the last year and a half or twp years by the lack of confidence and a waiting for such settlement to the expansion of business and the further development of the resources of this countrv."