The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-06-17
TAFT STANDS
FOR REDUCTIONS
TARIFF BILL WILL BE FL
NALLY MADE IN CONFER
ENCE WITH PRESIDENT.
Big Reductions from the Aldrich
Measure are Insisted Upon by
Chief Executive.

Washington June 1.-THE tariff
law will be made IN conference. That
was the solemn declaration OF Presl-
dent Taft weeks ago and TT still holds
good. The President is determined
that the extortionate schedules OF the
Aldrich bill shall be reduced and he
proposes that those reductions shall
be made in conference.
The President Is preparing to wage
enc OF the greatest fights ever wag-
cd in behalf OF the ultimate consum-
ers of the country He will take up
the program for the tariff reform
where the Senate progressGves leave
eff, and he will use all che power OF
his high office TN seeing that JUS
tice is done to the masses OF the
people, who are affected by high tariIf
duties.
The President has so far assumed
-7aiting attitude, not because he
was indifferent to the sort OF revision.
that is to be enacted, but because he
has such a high regard for the CON
stituional Limitations of his office that
ne thought he ought not TO ir1terfere
as long as the tariff bill was before
the House and Senate.
As soon as it gets into conference
his time will come and he is await
irg that opportunity with anxiety
The President, following custom, will
virtually be one OF the oonfrees. 1t
will be for him to say then what sort
c. a bill he will sign and what
changes must be made before the
pending bill can secure his signature
What he Will Do.
What the President intends TO dc,
it has been learned definitely, is 10
THORN the conference committee that
he does not approve many of the fea-
lures of the AIdrich bill; that its
excuses must be toned down, and
that it must be revised downward
in many OF its schedules. The Presi-
dent does not believe that the Aldrich
bill IS a faithful redemption OF the
promises OF the Chicago platform and
OF the pledges which he himself made
IN his campaign for the presidency
The Presidents attitude, now
known for the first time, imneasur-
ably improves the chances of getting
a good tariff bill. The Senate pro-
gressives will be stimulated by 1t
and they will continue so fight along
the line, knowing that their well-dds-
ciplined band can not change any OF
the votes 10y which the bill will pass
the Senate, but believing that the
fight they are making in the SeTrate
will strengthen the cause OF down
ward revision in conference. AS a
still further move to hold UP Presi-
dent Taft's hands IN conference the
prdgressives will vote against the
AldrIch bill on its final passage in
the Senate.
President TAFT insists not only on
large reductions from Che iAldrich
rates, but he also stands for a very
considerable free list He favors free
lumber, free iron ore, free hides. and
free raw materials generally. His at
titude m favor OF free iron ore, and
free lumber is likely to cause some
discontinue TO those Democratic
senators who voted for a tariff ON
iron ore and lumber and who have
since spent a great deal of their time
trying to explain to their oomstitu-
ents.
Prospects are Bright.
Because of Presidents Taft's de-
termination to stand for the interests
OF the ultimate consumer, thus con-
tinuing the battle that the progress
sives are waging in the Senate, the
prospect for a tariff bill that will
prove In the main to be satisfactory
to the American people is much
brighter than it was a few days ago
The Senate has almost reached the
hides schedule in the consideration
of the tariff bill Senator Beveridge
will vcte to put hides on the free list.
Senator Shively probably will not be
able to attend the sessions of the
Senate FOR few days, but if he is
present he will vote for free hides.
The Senate Finance Committee has
decided to reverse the action of the
House and put tariff of Is per cent
on hides, and it probably will have
votes enough to carry that program
through the Senate. Senator Bailey
of Texas IS for a tariff ON hides
Taft Wants Crunpacker.
President Taft is ds.sirous that the
conference commftte Shall be large
one. II would suit him if the en-
tire Republican membership of the
House Ways and Means Committee
should be taken into the conference,
but as that seems impractical and
contrary to precedents he would like
to have large representation, as he
believes it would be more conducive
10 revision downward than a smaller
conference committee.
There are four Republican mem
bers of the Ways and Means Com
mittee who are opposed to the high
schedules of the Aldrich bill They
are Crumpacker of Indiana, Samuel
w. MCCALL of Massachusetts, William
A. Calderhead of Kansas and
Nicholas Longwortl of Ohio The
President will not be satisfied If the |
conference committee is made up
without some of these on it as repre- |
senting the downward revisionists |
He would be especially we'll pleased |
49,