The Mena weekly star., 1909-09-23
DEFENDS TARIFF BILL
AT wINoNA, MIN, THE PREsI. DENT DECLARED IT 5EsT IN
 couNTRVs HISTORY.
SAYS REVISION IS DOWNWARD
m, Taft, by a Table Prepared by Representative Payne, 5howed That Duties Are Higher on Luxuries and Lower on Necessities.

Wiuona, Mlnn., Sept 19.-In the most important utterances he has made since his occupancy of the white house, President Taft here, in . state which Is the hotbed of the fin surpent" movement, within the Repub- lican party. defended the Payne tariff b,ll as the best tarifY measure ever nassed by a Republican congress and hence the best tariff bill the people have ever known.
 The president boldly asserted that inc insurgents who voted against the hill had abandoned the Republican party
 "Was 1t the duty of the member of congress who believed that the bill did not accomplish everything that 1t ought 10 accomplish. to vote against it?" asked the president.
 q am here to justify those who answer this question in the negative. I am not here to defend those who voted for the Payne bill, but to sup port them"
 ITO make party government effec i've said the president the mem bers of that party should surrender their personal predelictions of com. raratlve less importance I am not here to critcise those who felt so strongly and believed so intensely that 1t was their duty 10 vote against the tariff bill, because 1t did not con. tain all they thought it should.
 Tt was question for each man to settle himself,
 Tn matters of this kind 1t Is question with the party res. 'esenta- i've whether he shall help maintain the party solidarity for accomplishing Is chief purposes, or whether the de rarture from principle in the bill, as he regards it, is 80 extreme that he must in conscience abandon the party"
 Futher along. the president gave final word to the insurgents.
 T am glad to see that these who voted against the bill still insist that they are Republicans. and that they intend to keep up the fight for still lower tariff rates within the party.
 That is their right and fin their view of things, is their duty.
 "All have to say in respect 10 MT. Tawney's action in voting for the bill and my action in signing 1t. Is that believe that the interest of the country. the interests of the party. re- quired me to sacrifice the accomplish ment of certain things in the revision of the tariff which I had hoped for. in order 10 maintain party solidarity, portant than the reduction of rates in one or two schedules of the tarisf."
 The president, by means of table prepared at his request by Mir. Payne, showed that the tariff had been in. creased on articles whose consump. ton in this country amounts yearly to SG5l,0e0 coo, and that of this ount s379.O00. 900 Is represented by ch luxuries as silks, wines. liquors rfumes and pomades. leaving bal aace of t2I2.000,000 representing in creases on articles not luxuries. Against this. the president set with great emphasis in his delivery, the Tact that the tariff had been reduced on articles, mostly necessities. whose consumption In this country amounts annually to 5000 .000. .000.
 MT. Taft said 1t would be uttctly useless and distressing to business to bring about further discussion of the 'arin during the present or next ses. sion of congress and added that it would require the three years of his administration for the commission to collect facts which would justify the @hing up of the tariff on more scientific basis than ever before.
 By that time, he asserted. the party would be ready to go before the peo- pie again with definite proposition.
 President Taft answered with much warmth the assertion that the tariff