New-York tribune., 1909-07-20
BEHIND THE PRESIDENT.

The resnouse Of the country to President
Taft's intp,nretation of Republican duty is IN
'spirinr We have never doubted that the great
mass of the voters Republican as well as beIllo
cratic would welcome change i'll the hlethouS
by which recent tariffs have been made anu
return to first principles III the application u lllo
protective policy. The country has grown weary
of the programme followed in Congress-thdt VI
allowing sectional and local interests having the
oar of REPRESENTATIVES, and Senators to frame a
log-roIIine measure under whose provisions each
maid for taking what it could by giving what tie
others asked. Unfair and excessive prolec'Ioh
was bound to result from such an interchange
of courtesies because protection was often gwen
without justification, and the inflated deihanu'
of the less deserving claimants determined lAe
measure of assistance allotted to all 1he true
aim of the protective system was lost slght ol
in scramble for the distribution of favorS
among interests convinced that they were Ell
titled to such favors independently of their value
in working out balanced scheme of national
development
President Taft with the true instinct OF ma
tional leadership has ranged himself Win the
great mass Of the people who earnestly support
the protective theory, but want to see IL ration
ally applied. The ''stand-patterS IN the houSe
ard the Senate know that they cannot make out
= case against him with the voters. They nave
done their best TO ObStruct downward revision
In the Senate especially the old method OF legls-
lation has been resorted TO. and instead OF try
ing TO applv the simple rule laid down in the
last Republican national plaUorm-that or al
lowing sufficient protection offset the diferen-
rial in cost of production here and abroad, with
q reasonable profit to the domestic producer-the
Finance Committee framed a bill which too
largely represents the bargains of various sec
tionS and interests with. one another Inc
President stands on higher ground than the leg
iSIative leaders who have been apportioninS
favors in order to hold a majority together
They have failed TO realize that they no longer
have the intelligence and moral influence of the
Republican party behind them Those forces
have broken with the old order and are demand
inc a modernization of the schedules and an ad-
iuStment of rates to cover dfferentials not
guessed AT. but proved. The strength Of the
Presidents position lies in the fact that 1t IS
politically as we'll as economically unassailable
Behind him are masSed the Republican voters
who believe in the new order and at whose be
hest The promise of revision was written into
the Republican national platform of 1908.
II is idle TO argue that Republican sentiment
has not changed or could be satisfied now with
the sort of revision acceptable twelve years ago
There may have been some Republicans who re-
GREETED last year the necessity of making
pledge to revise the tariff. Yet they yielded to
the pressure of party opinion No one protested
at the Chicago convention against the tariff
declaration-a declaration. which, read in the
light of the speeches OF the nominee for PreSi-
dent could not be honestly interpreted other
wise than as promise of a substantial reduc-
ton of duties in many schedules. The Repub-
lican party accepted the platform promise in
good faith and is practically unit in de
manding its fulflment. Politically. therefore
the ''stand-patters" in Congress are left without
countenance or a following They have not
been able TO see that heretofore. The popular
response TO President Taft's declaration OF
policv ought to convince them that they have
misinterpreted the will and purpose Of the
marty.