The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-22
HOT SHOT FIRED
BY MIR. MITCHELL
President Taft and Congress Char
acterized as Worthless and
Cowardly.
.---
HoLAs PROMISES BROKEN
Charges President With Concern
for Rich at Expense of
Starving Poor.
HoLAs PROMISES BROKEN


cIaring that the insurgents who voted
against the resolution to GUST Cannon
from the speakership had been whip
ped into line" and charging Congress
AND the administration with failure
to keep the platform pledges of the
republican party. Representative A.
Mitchell Palmer democrat. Pennsyi-
vania) to-day delivered peppery
speech in the House, during the gen
eral debate on the pension appro-
priation bill.
Now that the insurgents have been
whipped into line by the successful
use of the most gigantic blum in the
history of this body, Palmer SAID,
the men of independent thought ana
action have been corraied into the
party caucus and made to promise to
be good And what has become OF
the pledges of the republican plat
FORM The Presidents legislative pro-
gram started out bravery to- redeem
the party promises and To carry out
the policies which prevailed In the
elections Of 1908, but one after an
other we see the items of this pro-
gram 20 down before the fnsidfous
assaults of the system which now.
unfortunately, controls the executive
as well as the Legislative branch OF
this government.
We have witnessed the spectacle OK
the greatest friend that conserva-
ton ever had being hurled out from
the councils of the administration De-
cause he was ever Jealous in hts sup
port of the cause to which he de-
voted his life We have seen the same
faithful public servant hauled into
court before a congressional investa-
eating committee as co-defenoaht
with the man who Is recognized oy
the people as an enemy of the poncy
which he personihes. And we read in
the public press that the President
has abandoned all but one of his con-
seryation bills and even the remnant Is
not longer seriously considered by
those in authority here.
Promises Broken.
I'VE see the postal savings bank Dill
amended with the apparent approval
of the administration In the Interests
of the great money centres OF the
country, so that no man who depre-
Gates the growing strength or the
money power can give 1t support. We
ind the Alaskan government biil
dereiict on the high seas OF iegfsia-
ton. We witness the passing OF the
Federal incorporation plan Until q
more convenient season. and even
Statehood for Arizona and New Mex
leo In commonly reported to be about
to walk the plank which leads to OBJ
nvfon: while the Presidents proposal
| TO amend the sherman antitrust acts
has gone the way OF all republican
promises. into the realms Of ancient
history.
Every one at these measures was
promised by the Republican platform
of 1908 or originated with and was
supported by the greatest insurgent OF
them ali--the man who taught the In
surKents how to insurge: the man
who walked of the Republican reser-
<srtttrn with the greatest disregard OF
results: the man who was responsible
more than any other cause or all
other causes, for the present chief ex-
ecutive the man who left as q legacy
to the incoming administration the IN
finished program which the Repubii-
can party in it's platform promised to
complete"
Scores President.
Discussing President Taft's recent
speeches on the tariff. Mr.. Palmer said:
"If President Taft had been one-half
as anxious 10 save the pennies of the
workingman by giving him cheaper
{ a.
lars of the Steel trust by dumping Into
it's mills it's raw materials at much re-
duced epense. his name would have
been enshrined in the hearts OF the
poor as his praises are now sung In the
counting houses OF protected wealth.
"ffe might have won the grateful
piaudits OF the home building and the
home-ioving artisans of the country IL
he had not purchased his Wanted but
insignificant reduction in the tariff on
lumber at the price Of trade war with
Canda, now all TO imminent. which is
liable to spring into operation the max
imum rate provided in the law and
increase the tariff ON lumber products
by leo per cent. But in that even he
would have won the undying hatred of
the powerful lumber combine In the
great Northwest
"ff he had given thought to the mil
lions of shiyering poor. who must now
pay from one-third to one-half more
for the clothes and blankets and all
the other wooden goods which protect
them from the Icy blasts of winter. his
party would have lost the generous
contributions of the sheep trust OF the
trackless West"