Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-17
WANTS REAL REVISION E.
Taft Addresses Ohio Society
on the Tariff.
PARTY PROMISES SACRED
Declares That Pledges of the Plat
form Must Be Kept.
PROTECTION TO BE OBSERVED
Perfection Cannot Be Obtained, But
Honest Effort, He Says, Will
Win Popular Commentator.

NEW YORK. December 17.-William H
Taft, the next President. speaking be-
fore the Ohio Society at the Waldorf
Astoria last night. declared that he was
for a tariff revision along the lines laid
down by the republican convention at
Chicago or no revision at all Gov. Hughes
eulogized Taft-'Tactful, able. fearless.
tried-that spells Taft he quoted, amid
loud cheering.
Mayor Mcclellan spoke of the famous
minority of the Ohio men who move to
the White House and the great majority
who move to New York.
The American Party System.
Mr. Taft. after telling story about his
brother and expressing his pleasure at
being present. said in part:
II am going to talk a little politics, if
j may, and to draw attention to one of
the pecuiarities that we have in carrying
on our government. Of course it is neces-
sary, to be successful in running the gov
eminent. that we have as resultant
force an expression of united opinion
ana to do this we must have parties. We
have them. They also have them in Eng
land. but there they fix the responsibility
more absolutely. They do not divide the
prime minister is at the same time the
executive, the promoter and the defender
of the legislation proposed by the party
In power.
system over one where the RESPONSE
bility Is divided. Now 1 am not advocat-
ing Change of the Constitution. There
would unquestionably be more rigidity in
such system here than there is in Eng
land What / want to do is to try to
point out difference that does exist
With US the President is generally
looked on as the head of the party and
is made responsible, after an election for
what the party has done what it has
failed to do. The power. however is
vested in him and in the leaders of the
Senate and the leaders of the House of
Representatives. Generally the methods
of determining what the party policy
shall be are left to the national conven-
ton. which adopts platform. On that
platform the party goes before the people.
and 1t Is because Of that platform that a
party is returned to power.
Platform Pledges Sacred.
There arises from this system a sacred
duty on the part of the executive and
of the leaders of the Senate and the lead
ers of the House to sacredy carry out
the policy declared in the platform. It'll
is their duty to fulfill the promises that
have been made with reference to those
policies that have been laid down.
''Of the planks in the platform adopted
In Chicago, the strongest obligation that
these many leaders of the party should
respond to and see to it that they have
not deceived the people in inviting their
mandate upon the question. the most i'm
pressve promise of all. was the revision
of the tariff, to be fixed at an extra ses-
sion of Congress to be called as early as
possible after the 4th of March.
And In that Platform was fixed the
principle upon which the revision was to
be made. 1t to be made upon the
principle of protection (applause). and
the tariff rate was to be defined by de-
termininS the difference in the cost of pro-
duction abroad ard the cost OF produc-
ton here, the cost price. In both cases
ta include interest on capital.
The duty of ascertaning these differ
ences and OF fixing the rate davolved on
tie party. and the duty cannot be dis
charged by declaring a decree pro con-
fesso against those in the community who
C mot appear and listening only to the
views of those who do appear and fixing
the rates accordingly.
II am protectionist. (AppIause) But
! don't think ii is inconsistent in me to
say that protection makes the possibility
OF trusts and monopolies much easier
than if we did not have protection. But
do not believe in the destruction of the
protective system. What want to do
is not to deprive any one of the just
profit of business. but to ascertain the ex-
cess above the just profit and not to give
to secure that excess.
No "Surface Revision"
Unless we do revise the tariff accord
ing to the provisions Of the platform. if
we only make a surface revision we shall
be made accountable to the intelligent
American people, and will be made to
suffer the punishment that is usually
melted out to those who do not keep their
promises.
Honest Revision or None.
1T is therefore better that we have no
revision at all; that we allow the bill to
be defeated. unless we are going to hon.
estly revise the tariff on the basis
have explained; on the basis set down in
the platform.
There was some slight applause at this,
and MIR. Taft continued:
There Is now being made in Washing
ton an honest and thorough attempt to
find out what the difference in cost is and
to fix the tariff rate accordingly. 1t is
not easy task. with witnesses preju-
diced on the one side and witnesses preju-
diced on the other side. You cannot have
perfect tariff bill, but II We go ahead
and do our best to honestly revise the
tariff We shall have the commentator of
the American people"
Discussing Taft's Remarks.
1t was evident several times that some
of the diners had not expected such re-
marks from Mr. Taft. and although at
the end. when he declared that he was
going to do his utmost to carry out the
Roosevelt doctrines, enforce the Sherman
law and have the tariff revised, there was
a coodly round of applause, the dinner
broke up with the diners comforting one
with another with apparent animation
over the remarks of the President-eiect.
One of the marked features of the din
ner was the fact that no toast was drunk
TO the President of the United States, nor
was there any mention of Mr.. Roosevelt
by the POSTMASTER. Henry w. Taft ex-
cept when he spoke of the number of
regrets that had been received.
These included a cable from Colgate
Hoyt and letter from Vice President
Fairbanks. Mr.. Fairbanks letter was
read. With regard TO the Presidents let
ter the POSTMASTER said simply:
The President of the United States
expresses regrets"
There was some handclapping at this
announcement.