New-York tribune., 1907-05-27
THE JyOTISITIOy AT WORK.

| There Is touch of Serl0-colnlc quallIy III lhe
| assurance with which the extreme tariff stand
patteTS" are reading out of the Republican COM
nunon the heretics who venture to suggest
that the DingIey schedules are not absolutely
sacrosanct and unamendable. If we are to be-
| lieve Mr. Wilbur T. Wakeman and Mr.. Theodore
! Justice leading spirits in the American Irotec-
! tive Tariff League. many eminent Repu0HcahS
| have disqualified themselves for further party
| honors by exhibiting a misguided purpose to
| treat the Dingley tariff Il merely human con
| trivance capable of outyng its usefulness as
| the conditions to meet which it was enacted
! gradually pass away. According to these apos-
Ties of the stand pat" creed not only are the
rates imposed by the DingIey law incapable Of
| becoming stale ana obsolete, but even the ad-
! minstrativc rules framed by the Treasury for
| its own convenience in interpreting the meaning
| of the act are immutable as the laws OF the
| MedeS and persians. Mr. Justice the other day
! ntimated that Secretary Root had betrayed the
country and his party when he signed a CONNER
! ciaI agreement with Germany by which the
| United States obligated itself to make certain
| changes in the Trcasury's present methods of
determining valuations of foreign merchandise
at the place of origin or shipment. Because the
Secretary of State had put his pen to this revolt
ing compact he must forever, so we were sol
emny told. put aside the hope of Il Republican
nomination for the Presidency.
Secretary Taft is another backslider whose
name is posted on the Protective Tariff Leagues
blacklist. Mr.. Wakeman was reported as saying
the other day in Chicago:
William H Taft will not be the next nominee
OF the Republican party for the Presidency The
reason is simple MIR. Taft is a free trader and
the Republican party stands for protection Of
American industries.
As "a judge the superior (sc) bench. Mr.
Taft was one of the greatest jurists that ever
graced that body. As Governor of the Philip
pines Mr.. Taft was a splendid Goyernor-for the
isands-hut he Will not do as the standard
bearer Of the Republican party at the next cleo
ton. His policy, both in the Philippines and at
the lSthmus Of Panama, was for free trade and
not for protection of the American industries
which has always been the foremost plank in
the platfrom of the Republican party.
That is why Mr. Taft will not bear the stand
ard of the Republican party next year.
Mr.. Taft now knows the worst. But it must
console him little to reflect that Mr.. Wakeman
and his fellow burgers of the party will before
they finish have made that party so small that
it will have only an inconsderable chance of
eecting Il President. Mr.. Taft's most fragrant
offence. it seems. is having urged Congress to
reduce the tariff on Philippine products and thus
extend much needed relief to the hard pressed
Filipino planters. Yet if that fest be applied i'm
partially it Will be found TO put great many
others outside the pale as possible standard
bearers of the Republican party President
Roosevelt was pretty active in urging reduction
of the tariff on Philippine products just as he
had previously urged the granting of tariff CON
ccsSions on Cuban products. The House of Rep
rcsentatiyeS passed Il bill emb0dyng the Presi-
dents ideas-a bill supported by Joseph g. Can
non, Serene Z. Payne, John Dalzell, Charles H.
GrosvenOr and other supposedly orthodox pro
tectiOnists. The bill received n two-thirds ma
jorty in the House and had the support of more
than twO-thrds of the Republican members
This bin was never voted on in the Senate
having been smOthered in the Committee on the
Philippines by a combination which feared TO
face an open fight on the issue The Hon.
Charles Dick, of Ohio, was Il member OF that
combination and his present troubles at home
are due largely 10 his pertinacous opposition to
the administrations generous and honorable
Philippine policy As we have often said the
Senatc's action on this measure involved mis-
representation Of the real wishes of the country
Yet, according TO Mr.. Justice and Mr. Wakeman
only the smothcrers Of the Philippine tariff bill
are entitled TO rank as simon pure Republicans
and To stand erect and undismayed in line for
the Presidential succession. The inquistion has
at any rate begun and the defenders of the
stand pat faith will be kept working over,
are to apprehend, placard and give the proper
cure by fire or water to all the heretics who still
foelshly consider themselves qualified for mem
bership and leadership in the Republican party.