Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1909-09-18
President Recsives a Royal
Welcome in Minneapolis
on His Tour.
DEFENDING THE TARIFF
IN ALL HIS SPEECHES
Places at Which He Stops
Turn Out En- Masse to
Do Him Honor.

4sAAhh-s hNPhs AZ &AA-
though in the enemy's country, .Presi-
lent Taft is losing one of the tu-
multuous enthusiasm which met him
In the east and the crowds which well
toned him to this city gave him a
true western greeting, which was as
tordlal as it was bolsterous.
In the most important utterance he
has made since his occupancy of the
White House President Taft at Vino
ha defended the Payne tariff bill as
The best tariff measure ever passed by
Republican congress and hence the
best tariff bill the people have ever
known.
Calls insurgents Deserters.
The president boldly asserted that
the insurgents who voted against the
party.
WAS 1t the duty of the member Of
congress who believed that the bill did
not accomplish everything that 1t ought
to accomplish to vote against itf'
asked the president.
II am here TO Justify those who an
swer this question in the negative.
am not here to defend those who voted
for the Payne bill, but to support
them.
Il signed the bill because / believed
I that the interests Of the country, the
/ interests Of the party, required me to
sacrifice the accomplishment of GER
tain things in the revision of the tariff
which l had hoped for in order to
maintain party solidarity, which | be-
lleve to be much more important than
the reduction Of rates in one or two
schedules of the tariff"
Says Tariff Was Reduced.
BY means Of table prepared at hts
request by Mr.. Payne the president
showed that the tariff had been in-
creased on articles whose consump-
tion in this country amounts yearly to
s651 100000 and that Of this amount
1879. 100000 is represented by such
luxuries as silks, wines. liquors, per-
fumes and pomades. leaving balance
4 of $2T2 0O0.0 600. representing increases
on articles not Injuries
Against this, the president said. the
tariff has been reduced on articles,
mostly necessities. whose consumption
In this country amounts annually to
100000. He specifically declared
that the decreases in the bill are three
times as many as the increases.
/ AS to the wooden schedule. Mr.. Taft
declared without hesitation or equivo-
ration that the rates Of the Payne bill
were too high. 1t was found early In
the fght, however. he asserted, that
the wool and wooden manufacturing
interests in the Republican party were
so strong that any attempt to change
the Dingley rates would result in 0
defeat of the bill.
Only One Defect In Tariff.
ut is the one important defect in
the bill and in the performance of the
promises of the party platform. That
It will increase the price of woolen
cloths or clothes, however, l very
much doubt.
"As to whether the rates on cotton
goods are higher than they ought to
be-" said the president 'it was a
question of evidence. l will not de-
fend this evidence. but we hope soon
TO know more about the tariff than
we did al the beginning Of this fight"
President Taft said ID would be at
terly useless and distressing to bust
ness to bring about further discus
sion Of the tariff during the present or
next session Of congress and added
that ii would require the three years
Of his administration for the commits
sion to collect facts which would en-
able them to justify the taking up Of
the tariff ON more scientific basis
than ever before.
BY that fine. he asserted. the party
would be ready TO go before the people
again with definite proposition.
Conditions Responsible For Prices.
In conclusion the president said:
"The high cost of living, of which
80 per cent is consumed in food, 25
per cent in clothing and % per cent
in rent and fuel. has not been pro-
duced by the tariff. because the tariff
has remained the same while the in
creases have gone on. 1t is due to the
change of conditions the world over.
IF the country desires free trade,
and the country desires a revenue tar
III and wishes the manufacturers all
over the country to 60 out of business
and to have cheaper prices at the ex-
pense of the sacrifice of our manufac-
turing interests. then 1t ought to say
so and ought to put the Democratic
party in power If II thinks that party
can be trusted TO carry out any af-
firmative policy in favor of revenue
tariff.
IF we are to have free trade, GER
tainly II cannot be had through the
maintenance of Republican majorities
in the senate and house and Repul,.
'"an administration"
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