Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-07-19
TAFT WAKES UP.
PRESIDENT STANDS firm FOR
TARIFF REVISION downward.
Insists upon Standing upon the Party
Platform and His Pre-EleCtiOn
Speeches. lntimateS tie Nav Ex-
erCiSe His Veto II Congress Proves
Obdurate.

WASHINGTON, July 16.-All
doubt as to where President Taft
stands with regard to the downward
revision of the tariff was swept away
today when a statement was given
out at the White House setting forth
in detail what the president had to
say to twenty-three Republican MEM
bers of congress who called to pro-
test against putting raw materials
on the free list.
The president in this statement
declared that the Republican party
was committed to downward re-
vision; that he never had any 9TH
er idea of the Chicago platform and
that he personally has promised a
downward revision.
This statement is interpreted in
some quarters here tonight as d.
rect notification to the conferees on
the tariff bill that IL the measure
they finally agree does not consti-
tute a material reduction in speci-
fic duties the president will excr-
else his power of veto.
Dictated in the third person, the
statement concludes with this final
word of the presidents attitude as
outlined to his callers:
ssIIo fo1< Oh tho roll nf Al
country for DOWNFALL revision
within the limits of the protective
principles, and he hoped to be able
to respond to that call, as he heard
it as we'll in the in the interests of
the party as of the county"
Creates Sensation.
The presidents statement created
a sensation tonight among senators
and representatives. Senator Aldrich
made no direct comment upon it,
but said the conferees had decided
to let Mr.. Taft deal with schedules
upon which they could not agree, it
being up to the president to secure
the votes necessary to pass the meas
ure in the form in which it would
be reported out of conference, as a
result of his meditation between the
house and senate cOnferees.
President Taft up to this time, has
not permitted himself to be quoted
in connection with the tariff strug-
gle. This frame of mind was indi-
Gated in his New Haven speech on
June 80, however, in which he warn
ed the Republicans party that If it
did not keep it's promises it would
be relegated to the minority.
The president now asserts for the
first time his authority as the titu-
lar head of the party. AS such he
announces his conviction that the
party platform meant revision
downward, and that no other inter-
preation can be placed upon it,
Official Statement.
The following official statement
was made at the White House:
"Mr. Young, of Michigan, oppos-
ed free ore; Mr.. Mondell opposed free
coal or reciprocity with Canada, and
free hides; each on the ground that
the policy would injure the interests
of his state, and discussion was par
ticipated in by other representatives,
who urged that the doctrine of free
raw materials was not a Republican
doctrine.
THE president replied that he was
not committed to the principle of
free raw material, but that he was
committed to the principle of a down.
ward revision of the tariff which he
had promised, and that he was oblig-
ed to look at the matter not from
the standpoint of any particular dis
trict, but from the standpoint Of the
whole country, and also from the
standpoint of responsibility for the
entire Republican party.
Official Statement.
"He said the question in each
case was question of fact to be
determined by evidence as to wheth-
er the rate was excessive so that a
downward revision or putting the
article on the free list would not
injure the industry. He repeated the
platform of the Republican party and
said that he had understood it meant
a downward revision in many in
stances, though perhaps in some few
cases an increase might be needed;