The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-08-06

washington, July 3l.-Inere is 10
doubt Ia the mind OF minority leader,
Champ Clark. but that President Taft
desires to see his prediction prom
ises carried out But, in Mr. Clark's
opinion Mr. Taft has probably lost
out by delaying activity
General Benjamin Harrison" said
Clark, thought to be one of the ablest
republican presidents, was never pop
ular with congress On the contrary
they frequently worked at cross pur.
poses. In flt of disgust he likened a
president to a man driving team Of
wild horses. Whether President Taft
would subscribe TO the Harrisonlan
dictum this deponent saith not be-
cause he knoweth not Another Of
President Ta.t's predecessors, Grover
Cleveland, in a moment Of weariness,
bemoaned the fact that he had con-
gress on his hands, saying that has
become common property and which
did not add to his popularity with
representatives and senators whatever
II may have done as to the public
generally. So far as know Presi-
dent TAFT has given voice to no such
sentiment sentiment which was
most probably entertained by Charles
the First in the days of the Lang Par.
lament Still, there can be little
doubt that President Taft most heart.
lily wishes that the congress would
speedily conclude its business and
adjourn.
THAT he really wishes a tariff bill
which will substantially redeem the
anti-electlon promises Of himself and
of his party there can be no question.
His own good faith and his own fame
are largely wrapped up in the result.
Naturally he deserves to preserve his
own reputation for candor and square.
dealing. Hence it must be taken and
accepted that he is honest and earnest
in his demand for tariff revision down.
ward-in which II seems from the
signs OF the simes that he Is to be
disappointed Query: Does not the
old proverb ABOUT the futility of lock.
ing the barr after the horse is gone
apply 20 Ms present situation? Did
be not make his demand too late?
IF it be true that the conferees
cannot on any one item make the rate
lower than the lowest rate on that
item in either the Payne bill or the
Aldrich-Smoot bill. how can the new
bill show a lower average rate than
the Dlngley b.. when the average Of
the Payne bin is l56 per cent higher
than the Dingley bin and the average
o. the Aldrich-smoot bill is some
taing over per cent higher than the
Dingley bill? OF course by an extra.
ordinary use o. power, the two houses
might authorize the co1lferees to go
below the rates named In either the
Payne bin or tile Aldrich-Smoot bill;
but that has not been done and the
chances are that It will not be done
The truth SENS to be that in the
beginning president Taft had It In his
power to have forced a bona fide re-
vision downward. II he had insisted
that there should be such re
vision, before senators and represen
tatives had publicly committed them
selves, he could have secured what he
wanted. At least II seems So But
having committed themselves pub.
liely they hate to back down. Mark
Twain, the greatest living American
and the greatest literary American,
that ever lived, once said. Human ma
ture is very strong and we have a
heap Of It In u.s. He might have ad.
ded with perfect truth that human ma.
ture has not changed q particle since
Adam and Eve were driven with fam.
ing swords from the gates of Paradise
One Of the most common manifesto.
tions OF human nature Is a disposition
not TO back down publicly from a
position publicly taken "a stitch In
time saves nine, Is a philosophical
saying which VIII not bring much