New-York tribune., 1909-07-20
HAS NO DOUBT OF HOUSE
MR. TAFT CONFIDENT OF
SUPPORT THERE.
Not accepting Responsibility for
adoption of Conference Report
By Senate.
By Senate.
fFrom The Tribune Ruresu.1


him in his effort 20 obtain tariff revision down
ward. that II was not up 10 him to get suff-
cfent votes in the Senate 10 insure the adoption
OF conference report embOdying his views and
that while he would gladly do all in his power
10 assist the Senate leaders he did not purpose
TO accept that responsibility. Finally he said
that II the Senate cared to accept the respon-
sibility Of killing the tariff bin after il had
been approved by the House and Informally ap-
proved by him ne would be content to permit
the measure to fail. confident that revision
would be undertaken again two years hence.
He said he believed. however, that those who
were standing out for higher duties would do
well to realize that public sentiment would
merely gather impetus in the interval and that
revision accomplished two years hence would
prove far more drastic than he dared hope for
al this time
Despite the fact that he has assumed this at
titude the President Is doing all he can to bring
about satisfactory adjustment Of the differ
ences IN the Senate. This forenoon he had a
long conference with Representative Fordney
and another with Senator Crane. Senator Bur
rows was his guest at luncheon, and immedi-
ately before dinner he had a conference with
Speaker Cannon and Senators Aldrich and
Crane.
CONCESSIONS MADE TO PRESIDENT.
1t became known to-day that the reduction
made by the conferrees on scrap iron TO 81 ton,
the Senate rate having been 81 80 and the Ding
ley rate 81 ton was adopted at the direct re-
quest OF the President this having been one OF
the demands he made Of the conference COM
mittee along with HIS insstence on free hides.
petroleum. coal and iron ore and the House rate
on lumber.
So too. the modification Of the paragraph e
lating to imports from the Philippines was q.
concession 70 the President the conference COM
u1ittee II will be recalled. having increased the
number Of cigars which may be admitted free
annually from 100000 10 15O010OOO The
House had provided for the admission Of 150.-
OOOOOo cigars but on motion Of Senator La
Toilette. who is understood to have been acting
az the instance Of the CiGarmakeTs Union,
which demands further protection. the Senate
reduced the number as indicated.
Despite the firm stand which the President
has taken there are n number OF Senators who
seem to-day To believe that he will weaken in
his demand and will consent 10 express his ap-
proval of the tariff bill If the cOnferrees grant
reasonable concessions In the directions indi-
Gated By Kim 1t is asserted. for instance. that
the President VIII probably accep- duty of -
cents a ton on coal. a duty Of 81 - thousand
on lumber and possibly duty pf : per cent ON
hides. with free iron ore and free petroleum. No
reason IS given for this view except that all
legislation is a matter Of compromise. and
therefore the President must expect 70 make
some concessions
MR. ALDRICH AND MR.. TAFT.
one Of the interesting features Of the present
situation is the growing disposition 70 question
the ability of Mr.. AIdrich 70 gauge the attituds
OF the President That Mr. Taft's determined
stand in favor OF tariff revision downward was
the cause Of great surprise to Mr.. Aldrich and
his colleagues is now admitted They had as
sured the President in a general way that the
Senate bill would provide for reductions in the
duties. and aside from MT Aldrich. few Senator'S
had consulted Nir- Taft while the Senate was
considering the bill The Senator from Rhode
Island had assured them all along that they need
not fear the disappruvaI OF the President. and
had been disposed to ridicule any newspaper
dispatches which intimated that tn Chief Ex-
ecutive might not be easily satisfied
As long ago as April il was asserted in thess
DISPATCHES that those who know the President
best know that under a smiling exterior he con-
ceaIs great frmness and determination: that
once convinced that proposition = right 'r
wrong nothing can swerve him. that while he
is slow to he up his mind and Is willing TO
weigh all the evidence presented before dolnS
so. once he is in possession of the facts he de-
cides for himself and. having decided. any ef-
fort TO induce nlDl u tu''ii-V - .--N~-F "
a wrath from which those who arouse it are onlv
zoo clad 10 seek cover" II was further stated
IN tbe same dispatch that the question was being
asEed HAS AIdrich taken this side of tie
Presidents character sufficiently into account"
And II was added should the President de-
eide that the tariff BILL passed by both houses
of congress was unworthy of his signature. M
one could truthfully say that he had rot given
fair warning of his purpose TO veto the bill if it
failed to come up to his standard OF honest re-
vision"
WARNING VERIFIED.
At that time the warning was laughed at. and
II ELECTED only repeated assurances that the
President and Mr.. AIdrich were in perfect ac-
cord" that "a thorough understanding existed
between them. etc, and that such suggestions
as that Mr.. Aldrich had not given due weight
to all sides of the Presidents character wers
preposterous. Now, however. the men who theE
nut the idea from them unworthy of con-
sideration are admitting that the Senator from
Rhode Island overestinated the willingness 81
the President to accept assurances that me
tariff hill was "aIl right" and one Senator
called the attention Of The Tribune correspond
ent to-day to the dispatch of April as haVHs
been fully verified by the events OF the iast
week although the verifcati0n 9as postPoheI
three months-far longer than II was theh sup
posed the entire consideration OF the 'arln o'A
would last
The question is naturally raised asain when
senator's express the belief that the President
usIu weaken in his demand for genuine revision
downward and while opinion is divided as TO his
nrobabIe course there are those who feel that
the Senate leaders cannot say that the President
die not give fair and ample warning thar ne
would not approve a bill which failed to mee'
his conception OF honest revision downward
=, be.an,e evident to-day that there is still