The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-08-23
TAKES TAFT To TASK
Ohio Senator Differs From the
SeCTetaTy's Opinion
ASKS For INFORMATION
As to Position of Taft on Tariff
Revision

acts of Officials During His Term
of Office Subjected to oeseo
Scrut;ny-Nothing Discovered tha'
Reaected Oh Both Personahy
Had Given no Evidence Oh
breakdown. Mentally or Physlcahs
cooreetown. Ohio, August I.--ih
his FIRST address after the Columbus
sneech OF Secretary oF war ial'
1rn,+ad States Senator Foraker. oe!oIe
tho cbautauoua Assembly here To-Day
discussed his fellow toWpsman "9ih-
IONS from which he differs'; 10 mauS
narticulars. In the course OF MS
sneech MIR. Foraker said.
"All tn provisions of the Hepburn
rate bill specifically mentioned oy sec
rotary Taft in his commentator ol
that measure, exceD: the late ~mah'ne
nrovision, were incorporated into tnat
hi11 bv the senate Most Of them Win
nv active assistance, and some ol
them upon my own motion
.sIf the bill had been put through the
senate as it was put through the hcnse
| and senate committee, under orders
| tc allow no amendments wha+r'':, IL
would have been without any redeem
/, ir- features whatever, except s'lcn as
! tre friends of that proposition may
| claim to find in the provision con-
| farrine the rate-making powere or the
| inter state commerce commission.
| 1T was to that proposition l was
| l.nalterably opposed.
| THE objection to comforting the rate
| r.sking power upO: the Interstate
| ccn.merce commission IS not i'll my
| o,.,rion answered by Secretary Taft.
He makes no answer 20 the sGg-
| aestion that the thra7 powers or gov
! c:n1nent, the executi~~ the legislative
| anu the judicial, are all conferred on
! the commission and that this COM
,aineling of these powers is rnprcce-
der1ed and in violation Of botn the
ST.. it and the letter ce the constitution
| 81 have contended that 50 far as l
have yet been infornd there has been
u. lower range rates since the Hep
G1rn rate was passed whereby the ship
pers of Ohio have been benefited, eX-
C.pc only such as would have been
1naGe in all proba5'i:E if the Hep
b'nn law had never been passed. On
The contrary, since the Hepburn rate
law was passed the majority of these
Gates have been advanced.
I'll as much as the secretary en-
| tertains the views he expresses as to
! tie difficulty of convictions in such
cases and in as mucn as the interstate
| &C rInferce commissioners for precisely
the s me reason Civ ~ As part OF the
3lllins law, the charge Of the scCretar::
made by Implication, at least, that the
Elkins law, especially in the matter
of abolishing imprisonment, was 9
railroad measure, is without the slight
| est excuse or justification. Nobody
has ever claimed that the Elkins Law
Was perfect. But while he seeks tC
disparage the Elkins law, yet he ad
nlits that ali prosecutions down unit
| this time have been under it, becaus;
these prosecutions were for offense:
| committed prior to the Hepburn rat'
|
prosecutions will continue TO be unde
' the Elkins law but as amended By th
{ | new rate bill Now no amendment 9
/ the Elkins law by the provisions o
0 the Hepburn rate law has been IT.
: vOked in any OF these proceedings.
: Senator Foraker spoke of his recen
t public requests that Secretary Tai
'. give a bin OF particulars as to III
= tariff revision views and declaring th
C ColumSys speech not sufficiently Ill
! minous sH this point" continued:
:. Zone Who was able year ago t. oe
clare k-=f unqualifedIy in favor {
an Immediate revision at that tim
should be able now to give some Ctes
ications as to what then prompted hi
2 to make such a declaration. But IL
le stead, We are told that he mt"e'y a
e sumes that the cost of production
j. this country has so far dimin she
10 since the Dingley law was passed til
j. the duties now in force are high,
Id than is necessary to cover the diffe
r ence In the cost of labor here al
is abroad Assuming for the sake OF a
I'D gument that he is correct In bis co
sk tention that the difference In labe
and that difference alone should