Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-18

To Maintain Party Solidarity.
Nov, 1 am not here to criticise those
republican members and senators whose
views on the subject of the tariff were
SO strong and intense that they believed 1t
their duty to vote against their party on
the tariff bill 1t IL a question for each
man to settle for himself, and the ques-
ton is whether he shall help maintain
the party solidarity for accomplishing the
chief purposes-whether the departure
from principle on the bill as he regards
1t Is so extreme that he must in con-
science abandon the party
All have to say in respect to my own
act in signing the tariff bill is that be-
lieved that the interests OF the country.
the interests Of the party, required me
to sacrifice the accomplishment Of certain
things In the revision OF the tariff which
l had hoped for In order to maintain party
solidarity, which ! believe to be much
more important than the reduction OF
rates in one or two schedules of the tariff
"Best Tariff Bill Ever"
when 1 could say without hesitation
that this is the best tariff bill that the
republican party has ever passed, and
therefore the best tariff bill that has been
passed at all, I do not feel that I could
have recOnciled any other course to my
conscience than that Of signing the bill,
and l think Mr.. Tawney feels that same
way.
Had Mr.. Tawney voted against the
bill. and there had been others Of the
House sufficient in number to have de-
feated the bill. or II had vetoed the bill
because Of the absence of a reduction OF
rates In the wool schedule, when there
was a general downward revision and a
Substantial one. though not a complete
one, We should have left the party in a
condition of Generalization that would
have prevented The accomplishment of
purposes and fulfllment Of other prom
ises which we had made just as solemnly
as we had entered into that with respect
to the tariff.
''Of course. IL had vetoed the bill I
would have received the applause of
these republicans who may be called low
ron that subject, and of all the democ-
racy. Our friends, the democrats, would
have applauded. and then laughed in
their sleeves at the condition in which
the party would have been left. But, more
than this. and waving considera tons of
party. where would the country have
been had the bill been vetoed or been
lost by vote?
revision Of the tariff open for further
discussion during the next session. 1t
would have suspended the settlement of
all our business down to a known basis
upon which prosperity could proceed and
investments be made. and it would have
held up the coming of prosperity to this
country certainly for year and probably
longer.
these are the reasons why Mr.. Taw-
ney voted for the bill These are the
reasons why I signed it,
The President In his address. which
was about 1900 words in length. brought
out clearly these ideas and purposes:
No Revision Next Session.
That he is not satisfied with the bill
as a real downward revision Of the Ding
ley tariff. especially in regard to the
wooden and cotton schedules.
That he approved the bill only, as he
believed. to hold the republican party
cies." which are more important in his
mind, might have a clear field in the next
session of Congress.
That these policies are better inter-
Ing more efficient machinery of govern
ment to enforce the antitrust laws
That. because OF these policies, and
also that business may not again be dis
turDed. the President promises that he
Will not urge renewed tariff legislation on
the coming session of Congress. and per-
hans not upon the next Congress-; but.
That he expects through his recently
appointed tariff board to accumulate facts
that will end in a real revision of the
tariff at future day: and
That IN the meantime the republican
party or the country will have opportu-
nity TO send to the House of Representa-
tives and to the Senate men who will
work and vote for a real downward re-
vision.
On the subject Of the tariff board the
President said:
Now there is another provision in the
new tariff bill that 1 regard as of the
utmost Importance. It Is a provision
which approprfates $4,000 for the Presi-
dent to employ persons to assist him in
the execution of the MISUNDERSTANDING
tariff clause and in the administration Of
the tariff law. Under the authority,
conceive that the President has the right
to appoint a board. as / have appointed
it, who shall associate with themselves
and have under their control a number of
experts who shall address themselves first
to the operation of foreign tariffs upon
the exports of the United States, and then
upon the operation of the United States
tariff upon imports and exports. There
are provisions In the general tariff pro-
cedure for the entertainment Of the cost