The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1909-12-10
THE PREsTDENr'sMEs


Taft's messag ge to Congress yester-
day is its failure to say anything
about three subjects on which the
country wanted to hear from him
namely, the proposed notifications
of the Interstate Commerce act, the
Sherman Antitrust law and the con-
servatlon of natural resources, says
the baltimore Sun" These he will
discuss later, but there seems no
good reason why he should not have
dealt with at least two of them now
and omitted some of the tedious
and routine details with which he
encumbers the message. Roosevelt's 8
messages were long, but they were
generally sensa ational enough to be
interesting Mr.. Taft's is long and
dull-an insufferable combination.
Let US hope that in the future, while
avoiding Roosevelt's Wild West
melodrama, he will also avoid his
,prolixity.
The President makes it clear in
his n essage that he opposes, further
tariff revision by the Sixty-frst
Congress. 1t is a fair inference
from his statements that he does not
believe, in the light of the informa.
tion he now has that there is any
need for the revision of the Aldrich-
Payne act. It may be possible, how.
ever, for the tariff retormers of bis
party to extract a crumb Of comfort
from the Presidents declarations
regarding the work sof the experts
appointed by him TO assist in the
administration of the maximum and
minimum clause of the tariff law
"If," promises Mr.. Taft, ."the facts
secured by the tariff board show
generally that the rates of duties i'm
posed by the present tariff act are
: excessive, under the principles o
protection as described in the plat
form of the successful party at the
election, | shall not hesitate to in
vite the attention of Congress te
this fact and to the necessity fol
action predicated thereon This
board is not expected to conclude
its work, however, for perhaps two
or three years." the President ex
plains, so Mr.. Taft's administrator
will be drawing to its close before
he will be able to present the con
clusions of his tariff experts to Con
gress. 1t may be that this delay
will not be approved by the "insur
gent Republicans of the West who
resented Mr.. Taft's characterization
of the Aldrich Payne act as the bes1
tariff law ever passed by Republi
can Congress.
Several months ago the country
was shocktd d by revelations of fraud
ulent practices in weighing sugar BY
which the Government was cheated
of revenue. The Sugar Trust, the
beneficiary of these frauds, was com.
pelled to make restitution in part
To the suggestion that there should
be an investigation by Congress OF
these frauds and of the operations
generally of the Sugar Trust, the
President interposes an objection
The Treasury Department and
the Department of Justice
he states, are probing these
fraudulent practices. They might
be embarrassed in their efforts tc
convict guilty persons, as an inves
tigation by. Congress would possibly
result in giving humanity to men
whom the government intends to
prosecute. 1t would be contrary to
sound public policy if any of the men
implicated in the scandalous frauds
upon the Government should escape
punishment which they richly de,
serve. Mr.. Taft's objection to an
Immediate investigation by Congress,
therefore, would be valid and con-
vincing one if Cons inves-
tigation involved necessarily "im
munity baths for alleged lawbreak
ers in return for the information they
might give to a committee of Con-
gress. The cooperation by Con
gress, the Department of Justice
and the Treasury Department, how
ever, could easily be arranged upon
a basis on which there would be no
promise of immunity to any wit
nesses at a Congressional inquiry
In this way important practical re-
suits might be accomplished without
concessions to law breakers.
The President approves the plans
for reorganization of the army and
navy, which have been presented in
detail in "The Suns" Washington dis
patches. Economy is Mr.. TafL's
watchword as regards both the army
and navy. The army estimates and
the naval estimates have been great
ly reduced by his direction-the ag-
gregate reduction being $50, 100000
Tue ordinary Government expendi-
lures OF the currert fiscal year will
exceed the estimated receipts by
$34.O0O,O00. II to this d,fcit there
be added tbs disbursements for the
Panama Canal, $3o,OOO,O00, aud
$1,000,000 for other purposes, he
total deficit on June 80, 1910, will
no 272 DhG e0O Therefore Mr. Taft