Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-06-10
If TAFT SHOULD VETO
Probable Consequences of a Break
with the Vested Interests.
Would Dc Popular Act and Migh%
Prove Wise and Fnr-SIEbtcd-.
Would Close Controversy
which Otherwise WIN
SHOULDER Continuously.

The New York journal ~ Commerce
and Commercial Bulletin, rndt says:
SO unsatisfactory. inadequate. unfair
and perhaps corrupt is the tariff bill
which the senate committee on finance
is now endoavoring to fastrn upon the
country that the question Of voto-at
nrst regarded merely ac1dc1nic-is
gradually becoming practical out
ragcous" IS the term applied by Senator
Stone Of Missouri to tho proposed schod-
ues and the methods under which they
have been ircnarcd. Tho appropri7'o-
ness Of the term Is SO patent that there
Is LEGS and loss disposition TO question
it cven among strong republicans. II
it be granted that the tariff unrest and
discomfort aroused by the present mis-
| leading attempt Mt revision Is increasing
! in power the problem Is decidedly intor-
estng whether President Taft can afford
TO disregard the sentiment expressed ~
| the rank and fie Of his party and to ally
/ himself with the dstrusted and discrcdit-
ed old line conservatives" Supposing
/ him to have the courage of his convic-
! tons. the decisions reached by the Pres
/ idcnt must and will depend upon a study
/ of the consequences Of veto. on this
I understanding. largely raised by those
who want 20 stave off he possibility u
such action by tho Executive.
TIE fret effect of veto would be %
! continue the Dngley rates in operation
| Just as they are at present. Whether or
! rot this would be wise stop can
| be determined only by n study Of the
! Aldrich-Payne duties. That can be posi-
/ lively made only after the bill goes to
| the President but there is every reason
! to believe the Aldrich rates will be GER
tainly no gain. while in many respects
long backward step from those OF the
| DinEey measure. If that be true. there
would a least be no loss from veto Of
the new tariff. since II would simply con-
| tnuo in effect act which. however
/ obsolete or vicious, would at least ne
more equitable than its proposed success
or. The real question. then. about y
veto, from the broad standpoint would
| be whether the President was willing
to open a contest with the old-linc lead
ers, in which he could look for support
mainly TO the radical republican element
and to the party as n whole He would
thus set against himself all the conserva-
tive elements in the party as we'll as the
| captalistic and corporate Influences
| which have been behind the present at
| tempt to divert the process Of revision
| from its intended channel Could no 90.
| through s,ch n struggle rna,ariali,.
better bill than that which Is now ofrer
ed? He would have 10 deal With tho
same members Of Congress dominated
h.. the Same "Cannon clioue'' and aid
rich crowd " II r7trh, fa,r,, he o,es
TONED vhethe- arvth,np vould coma or
the contest IN The immediate future and
this would orar tho BRAZILIAN, D,bo,be-
Mr.. Taft himself wa. prenared n 90 he
fore the country with dednito tariff
programme. If he were. he could nrob
| ably force his programme upon the Sem
ate. but in 50 doing he would doubtless
| exert a somewhat depressing effect uno,
business True business Ia now ALMOST
wholly disregarding the tariff debate
but that is partly due TO the convincing
evidence that out Of this bill at lea5t
nothing Of the slightest disturbing oual-
itv will come A iong-Continued erd hit
Ter tariff contest might hava a dirreran,
result and this word neressari,y he
! carefully consile-ed nv Mr. Taft
II would he Of grea. interest 10 500
how Congress would receive a oresllen-