The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-22
MIR. FORAKER ANSWERS TAFT Strongly Defends the
 Elkins Bill. TALKS OF TARIFF PROBLEM Refers to Comer's Defiance of
 Federal Court. The Senator Says He Would Like to Know MT. Taft's Views on
 the Alabama sit-
 uation.

Georgetown, O., Aug. 21.-In his ad- dress after the Columbus speech of Secretary Taft. United States Senator Foraker. before the Chautauqua As- sembly here today discussed his fel- low townsman, Secretary sTafts opin- ions. with which he differed in many particulars.
 In the course of his speech he said :: 'All the provisions of the Hepburn rate bill specifically mentioned by Secretary Taft In his commendation of that measure, except the rate making pro- vision, were Incorporated Into that bill by the Senate. Most of them with my active assistance and some of them up- on my own motion.
 "The bill as 1t came from the House was very imperfect measure. The Interstate Commerce Commission of the Senate recognised this fact but ma 1ority of that Committee. acting under instructions that should never have been given, refused to allow any amendment whatever to be made in the committee and 1t was with very great difficuity and only after a parliament ary contest upon almost every point that the amendments that were finally adopted were made in the open Senate.
 If the bill had been put through the Senate as it passed the House and the Senate Committee. under orders to ai- low no amendments whatever. 1t would have been without any redeeming fea- lures except such as the friends of that proposition may claim to Ind in the provision conferring the rats-making power on the Interstate Commerce Commission"
 After devoting considerable time to a defense of the Elkins bill and an- swerinE statements made by the Secre- tary regarding that measure, Senator Foraker proceeded to discuss Mir. Taft s view on the tariff. Referring to his recent requests that Secretary Taft give a bill of particulars as to his tar if revision views, and declaring the Columbus speech not sufficiently "lumi- nous on this point" the Senator con- tinued: ssslt,... r. s-es,s
 aone who. was able . year ago 10 de- clare himself unanalifiedfy in favor oi an immediate revision at that nme should be able now to give some speci- fcations as to what then prompted him to make such a declaration. But instead, we are told that he merely as sumes that the cost of production m this country has so far diminished since the Dingley law was passed that du- ties now in force are higher than nec- essary to cover the difference in the cost of labor here and abroad. Assum- ing for the sake of argument that he Is correct in his contention that the diff ference in labor and that difference alone should fix the duty, he seems to overlook the fact that the cost of all kinds of labor has in the meanwhile advanced from 25 to 50 per cent in this country without any corresponding ad- vance in foreign countries. For sec ond reason for immediate revision, we are told that a majority of the members of the national manufacturers asso- citation have declared themselves In favor of a revision of the tarin Elk cept his assumption and this action of this association, the secretary practt- cally assigns no other reason why the tariff should be revised except only thai revision must come some time and that if we do not revise 1t the democrats may.
 That is all true and in due time and in our own way we doubtless will revise the tariff. But what l contend for, is, that before any such revision is entered upon, the people shall be heard on the subject and I have already sug- Rested that such a step should not be taken until after we have chance to consult them in the presidential cam paign of next year."
 T would know also what the views of an aspirant to the presidency may be about the new rebellion that has broken out in some of the southern states, notably North Carolina and Alabama, in the form of open defiance of the authority of the United States Courts. Is this spirit to be checked, and restrained, or is 1t to be allowed to feed upon itself and grow strong to the point of menacing our institutionsY