The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-03-24
PRESIDENT TAFT
EXPECTED TO VETO
TARIFF MEASURE
Speeches by Mr.. Taft Prior to
His Inauguration Are TAX
en- as Indications as to
Fate of Bill.
SCHEDULES ARE TOO
HIGH, IT Is THOUGHT
Bill Must Contain Proper Per-
centage Of Real Revision
Before It Will Be Taken as
Acceptable.

Washington, D. c., March ,4.-Will
President Taft veto the tariff bill if it
comes to him in anything like the form
in which it left the ways and means
committee and was submitted to the
house?
OF course no one is authorized to an
swer that question, and yet the query
is being propounded on all sides, be-
cause it is generally understood and
admitted now that, while there is some
legitimate revision downward in
Payne's tariff bill, for which the coun-
try Is to be congratulated, there are
certain schedules which have not been
touched, although they contain some
of the most fragrant overproduction
ever put into tariff bill, while in
some other instances manufacturers
already highly protected shave had in
fluence enough to secure an upward in
stead of a downward revision of the
tariff.
AS bearing on the point Of view the
new president is likely to assume it
may be worth while to quote few
words FROM his speech of acceptance
delivered at Cincinnati July g, 1908.
Taft's Idea Of the Tariff.
"The republican doctrine OF protec-
tion,' he said among other things con-
corning the tariff, 'sas definitely an
nounced by the republican convention
Of this year and by previous conven-
lions, is that tariff shall be imposed
on all important products, whether of
the factory, farm or mine, sufficiently
great to equal the difference between
the cost of production abroad and at
home, and that this difference should,
OF course, include the difference be-
tween the higher wages paid in this
country and the wages paid abroad.
and embrace a reasonable profit to the
American producer
After thus stating clearly the repub-
lican principle of protection and after
pointing to the changed conditions of
production, Mr.. Taft said:
"aThe tariff in a number of the SEIZED
ules exceeds the difference between the
cost of production Of such articles
abroad and at home, including a rea-
sonable profit to the American produc-
ers. The excess over that difference
serves no useful purpose, but offers a
temptation to those who would monop-
ollie the production and the sale of
such articles in this country to profit
by the excessive rate
Veto Considered Most Likely.
While he was at Hot Springs, Va,
after his election and before Inaugural
ton, Mr.. Taft repeatedly declared to
those who called upon him that unless
the tariff bill passed by congress con-
tanned a proper percentage of real re-
vision, on lines laid down by the re-
publican platform, he would veto it
without hesitation. Inasmuch as the
Payne bill does not revise the tariff on
cotton and wooden and silk goods in
the slightest particular. except that
cotton hosiery for some mysterious
purpose is to be advanced in price to
the consumer, members of the house
who listened to Mr.. Taft's declaration
OF principles at Hot Springs are con-
WINGED he will be compelled to veto the
bill or else back down from his posi-
ton.
According to the principles laid
down by the republican convention at
Chicago and strenuously insisted upon
by the president elect before his inau-
guration. the tariff In every instance
should be at least no more than the
difference between the cost OF produc-
ton here and in Europe. 1t is worth
while finding out by the operation OF
a little simple arithmetic, which can
be understood by every man and wo-
man, and by every child above the pri-
mary grade, whether in the big sched-
ules which have been wholly neglected
BY the Payne committee. and In which
there is no pretense of revision OF
the tariff. this simple principle OF pro-
tectiye tariff 10 honestly applied or not.