The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-06-12
President Will Veto Tariff Bill
if 1t Isn't Modified.
Insists That Pledges Must Be
Redeemed.
CURTIS AND THE OIL
Shows That There Is Over-PrO-
ductiOn in Oklahoma.
Why Oil From Mexico Should
Not Be Admitted.
CURTIS AND THE OIL

Washington, D. c., June 12.-It is
now definitely understood that Presi-
dent Taft is determined to veto the
tariff bill unless it Is decidedly modi-
fed from its present form. He will not
let it become a law without his sigma
ture, as Grover Cleveland once did. He
will give silent acquiescence in no
"perfidy and dishonor' legislation. Mr..
Taft feels that the veto responsibility
imposed upon the president is imposed
because it is intended to be employed
when conditions warrant. He has said
repeatedly that no tariff bill will be-
come law which does not meet his af-
ffrmative approval.
Until this week, this declaration has
been commonly construed to mean
merely that the president would find
excuse for approving any bill that
went up to him. Now, however, the tact
develops that he has no such easy
going view of his responsibility. He has
allowed it to be definitely understood
that the Aldrich bill as it stands to-
day does not suit him. and that he
would not sign it. He would veto 1t.
This is not very definite, but it is
definite enough. Perhaps it will not
be sufficient guide to Aldrlch, Lodge,
Smoot, and others, to enable them to
put the bill into shape to command
the presidents approval In that case,
those perplexed statesmen can easily
solve their difficulty.
There are men in the senate-good,
true, royal Republicans, too-Who have
been fighting for two months for just
the kind of a bill to which the Re
publican party is pledged, and the kind
Mr.. Taft will sign if it goes to him.
These men have had little considera-
ton for their views thus far. Perhaps
they will get more of 1T hereafter, In
If Aldrich wants to be certain that
his bill will evoke the executive sigma
tUre instead Of veto. let him consult
Mr.. LaFollette o. Wisconsin about the
about woolens, Mr.. Cu1nmins of the
same state about steel, Mr.. Bristow of
Kansas about paints and glass, Mr.
Burkett Of Nebraska about lemons,
Mr. Crawford of South Dakota about
lumber. Mr.. Brown of Nebraska about
the pulp and paper duties, Mr.. Bever-
idge of Indiana about the administra-
tive features and the tariff commits
sion provision. If he will advise brief
ly with these gentlemen, he will dis
cover a way Immensely to popularize
his bill with the people of the United
States; he will discover by what pro-
cess he can avoid the danger of tariff
vars with friendly nations; he will
learn what President Taft wants in the
way of real. honest revision These
men have the idea that the mass of
the American people have entertained
about tariff revision. They have al
ready delivered themselves of some
casual if not very effective views on
the subject. They are the men whom
the leaders need to consult; and they
are the men whom the country will fol-
low If it's expectations OF real revision
are disappointed
During the discussion of oil in the
senate the other day, Senator Curtis
said that in the state of Kansas there
weres1 independent oil re1neries who
buy oil from the independent produce
ers. Today" said the senator, Gin
our state the Independent refineries
furnish 10 per cent of the oil used-oil
In a refined state.
From what the Oklahoma independ-
ent oil producers say and what the Of
ficers of the government report. there
are thousands Of barrels stored in
great earthen entertainments because the
operator of the three pipe lines will
not buy the oil, and the Independent
producers must continue to produce it
because the rules and regulations of
the interior department required them
to continue the operation of the wells
On the lands leased from the Indian
alIottees, who are under the jurisdic-
ton of the interior department, and
the oil so stored is going to waste
"And you mean to say" inquired
ducin0 more oil in this country than
we have any use for?''
"They are producing more than they
have market for" replied Mr.. Cur
tbs: "that is, more than the pipe lines
in Oklahoma can take care of. There
are three pipe lines, and those pipe
lines are employed to their fullest ex-
tent OF capacity all the time, and they
do not take care of the oil that is pro-