The Irish standard., 1909-09-18
TAFT AND JOHNSON.

TAFT AND JOHNSON.
The chief magistrate of the nation
has started on journey of $4,000
miles toward the setting sun and will
reach Minneapolis this morning, to be
the guest of honor at a banquet at the
Auditorium in the evening, at which
the diners will be charged twenty dol
lars plate. 1t is right and proper that
President Taft be treated to- the hos
pitality of the city and that every
honor be shown him on his automobile
ride through the beautiful streets Of
the great metropolis of the northwest.
What is the object of the presidents
long trip? That is a conundrutil to
the ordinary citizen. Gov. Hughes, of
New York. in his address at Albany,
declared that the president lis going
on a long journey so that the people
may see him and hear his voice" They
saw him before and heard his voice
during last years campaign, and SO
forcibly were they impressed with his
rotund figure that they elected him to
the highest office in their gift. At
that time he travelled at his own ex-
pense; now he travels at the expense
or the nation. For two months"
says the Chicago Tribune, "the presi-
dent will lead the nomadic life of a
travelling theatrical company on the
one night stand circuit" 1t omits to
add that despite the fact that his SAL
airy was raised to $4,000 a year, in
elusive OF travelling expenses, his
friends in Congress gave. him last July
$4,000 more for the current year. and
out Of that he is to pay the expenses
of the present trip. So that Mr.. Taft
will have his $4,000 intact-$25,Oo0
more than his predecessor received
and through the magnanimity of his
friends in Congress, in contravention
OF the clause of the Constitution for
bidding, during his term of ONCE, '.any
other emolument" than the SALARY
fixed before his term began, Mr.. Taft
Is trottins around the circle at cost
to the taxpayers of $4,000, which he
illegally is paid. No wonder he is in
excellent humor and wears a rerpet-
ual smile on his pleasing countenance.
President Taft made the first speech
of the trip in Boston, Mass, last Tues
day, In which he said he saw great
prosperity wave on the horizon. He
favored central bank and declared
that the present banking system Of
the United States Is a patchwork af-
fair that needs to be remedied. and in
this connection he mentioned Mr.. Aid.
rich as the leader Of the senate, and
certainly one of the ablest statesmen
In financial matters in either house, -
but yet he confessed that the Rhode
Island tariff Juggler has been regarded
with deep suspicion by many people,
especially in the West" He would not
discuss the new tariff bill in Boston,
but turned his attention to Governor
Johnson's speech at Seattle on August
4. saying:
Occasionally one hears . note like
that Of Governor johnson, denouncins
the east. and calling upon the west to
organize in a sectional way. against the
east because the east is deriving more
benent from the governmental policy
than the west, and at the expense Of
the west. It is difficult for one to
treat such an appeal seriously.
Throughout this country there is free
trade Of the freest character, and due
to this the prosperity Of the west
especially the agricultural west, is even
more pronounced than that Of the east.
Moreover, the east is too close to the
Pacific coast, too close to the middle
west, too close to the Rocky noun
tains. because all the people of these
western stretches have eastern ances-
try and eastern associations and east