Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-09-18
Republicans Who Voted Against 1t
Abandoned Organization.
WOOL SCHEDULE TOO HIGH
Any Attempt to Change Rates Would
Have Defeated Bill.
MEASURE WARMLY SUPPORTED
Charge That Bill Causes Advance In
Cost of Living Answered by
Citing Similar COndi-
tions Abroad.

wINONA Mimi Sept H.-ln the most
important utterance he has made since his
occupancy of the White House, President
Taft here tonight, in a state which Is the
hotbed Of the 'insurgent" movement within
the republican party, defended the Payne
tariff bill as the best tariff measure ever
passed by a republican congress and hence
the best tariff bill the people have ever
known.
The president boldly asserted that the
insurgents who voted against the bill had
abandoned the republican party,
WAS it the duty of the member of con-
gress who believed that the bill did not
accomplish everything that it ought to ac-
compish so vote against it?' asked the
president.
Il am here to justify those who answer
this question in the negative. 1 am not
here to defend those who voted for the
Payne bill, but to support them"
To this statement the crowd in the
Winona opera house responded with
cheer which could be heard far down the
street. 1t was shouted by the adherents
of Representative James A. Tawney of
this district, the chairman of the house
committee on. appropriations, who has been
on the defensive ever since the adjourn
with the other members of the delegation
from Minnesota, both in the house and SEN
ate against the bill.
ITO make party government effective"
said the president tonight, the members
of that party should surrender their per-
sonal predictions of comparatively less
Importance. l am not here to critices those
who felt so strongly and believed in
tensely that II was their duty to vote
against the tariff bill, because it did not
contain all they thought it should.
1T was a question for each man to settle
for himself.
TN matters of this kind in a question
with the party representative whether he
shall help maintain the party solidarity
for accomplishing its chief purposes, or
whether the departure from principle in
the bill, as he regards it, is so extreme
that he must In conscience abandon the
party"
Further along, the president gave final
word to the insurgents.
Il am glad to see that those who voted
against the bill still insist that they are
republicans, and that they intend to keep
up the fight for stln lower tariff rates
within the party
THAT is their right and in their view
of things, is their duty.
"All l have to say in respect to Mr..
Tawney's action in voting for the bill
and my action in signing it, is that L
believe 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
/ had hoped for in order to maintain party
solidarity which l believe to be much
more necessary than the reduction of one
or two schedules of the tariff.
WOoIen Schedule Too High.
! The president went into the details of
every schedule of the tariff bill, dwelling
especially on the schedules which were the
| subject of the greatest fight, and which
developed more strongly the insurgent
movement.
As to the wooden schedule Mr.. Taft de-
clared without hesitation or equivocation,
4 that the rates of the Payne bill were too
high. 1t was found easy in the fight,
however, he asserted that the wool and
woolen manufacturing interests in the re-
publican party were so strong that any
attempt to change the Dingley rates would
result in a defeat of the bill.
II am sorry that this is So" said the
president. "and l wish it could have been
otherwise.
| 1t Is the important defect in the
! bill and I'm the performance of the prom
ises Of the party platform. That It will
increase the price OF woolen cloths or
clothes, however very much doubt"
No More Agitation Now.
! Mr.. Taft said 1t would be utterly useless
and distressing to business TO bring about
/ further discussion on the tariff during
the present or next session OF congress and
added that it would require the three years
of his administration for the commission
to collect facts which would Justify the
| taking up of the tariff on a more scientific
basis than ever before.
By that time, he asserted, the party
would be ready TO go before the people
again with a definite proposition.
President Taft answered with much
warmth the assertion that the tariff is re-
sponsible for the high cost OF living He
declared the tariff remained unchanged
for ten years while the cost Of living, moi
|