The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-19
In Rochester Speech Presi- ,dent Advises Party to
 Fulfill Pledges
TAFT DECLARES THAT HE
 II TRYING TO DO RIGHT
pr..ideut Mentions the Matters for Which He Is Held Responsible Tn Work of Congress and Explains
 Action in Connection

ndd-ess before the chamber of com
 merce here tonight President Tart made
 an earnest appeal to Congress to su-
 bordinate and sacrifice individpal
 opinions. in order that the measures he
 had recommended in fulhlment of par ' ty pledges shall be enacted into law.
 He expressed the hope that the party
 would show that it had "the sense and
 The discipline- to meet its responsibili
 ties.
 The impression had gotten abroad
 that the President might have some
 thing to say tonight with regard to
 the acute situation in the House or
 Representatives at Washington, but
 this was his nearest reference to the
 subject.
 At one point of his speech which
 was devoted entirely to tho legisla-
 ton he has recommended in the past
 few months, the President further de-
 c1ared.
 "Jf this Congress is to be treated as
 republican Congress, these things
 ought to pass in fulfllment of party
 pledges After this is done. it does
 not matter what happens at the ra~~-
 
 the country will be grateful for; wheth-
 CT it thinks it ought to express this
 gratitude in the immediate future or
 not can be fcregone."
 Mir. Taft was constantly interrupted
 by applause and when toward the end of his remarks he declared with great
 emphasis that he tried as President to
 do what he believed was right rather
 than to do those things that would
 bring political strength, the audience of
 nearly 1000 bnJnAS4 Ie1 Of prominence
 of Koch ester, stood up and cheered for
 several minutes
 Taft Speaks Earnestly
 The President spoke extemporaneous-
 Iy but with great earnestness through
 out. He declared he had been told he
 was no politician and dire things had
 been predicted. He believed, however
 he said, that in the end the people
 would find that the measures recom-
 mended to Congress were right. and
 that right, after all, was the very best
 politics of policies.
 Mr. Taft's greeting tonight was the
 most demonstrative he has had nc-
 corded him. He was followed by Pres 1dent W. C. Brown of the New York Central railroad, who paid a glowing
 tribute to MT. Taft and told of progress and stability that had come to the bus mess world since his inauguration. MT. Browns references to the Pres ident were received with enthusiasm
 The President summed up the things which he declared had caused some of his advisers to characterize him as bad politician. In the first place, he said, there was the tariff and a new tariff bill always defeats party. In the second place, he said had come the incorporation tax, bringing with 1t the enmity of every body directly or indirectly interested in fIay, f f<.,,e, l.. fected.
 In the third place, he said, there was s'the alleged postal deficit" which had been charged to the carrying of maga- zines and periodicals at cent pound That was bad politics." he said be- cause it arraigned all the magazines and periodicals against the administration. they declared. In the fourth place, Con gress only reduced the duty on print paper 30 per cent instead of putting it on the free list, the President said, and this offended the newspapers. Postal Savings Banks Last of all the postal savings bank bill had turned the bankers against the ad- mipistration, said Mir. Taft ''So," the President continued 'smy friends do not see just what we are com ing to and coming out, but I am confi- dent in the end that the measures will approve themselves. The troubles we most IEdr dT6 lHOSe LQdl never come. The measures We promised ought to be adopt ed, not because they will give us political strength, but because they are right. And if they are right, the people will find them to be right, and that's the best politics in the end"
 The President referred to the measures he hoped Congress would adopt at this session in the following order: The bill amending the interstate com merce laws.
 The bill for postal savings banks The anti-injunction bill. The statehood bill.
 The conservation bills.
 After he had explained briefly the pro- visions of these measures the President continued:
 One Great Difficulty "One great difficulty about being Pres ident, and assure you there are great | many of them, is that he is the titular head of the party, and is made responsl blo for the laws adopted by the party, 5 although he has had nothing more to do with them than recommendation at the bekinninE. and the power of veto at the end. He is held responsible for all of the promises made by the party. And if in his enthusiasm and desire to fulfill the party pledges. and to help the country as he thinks. he goes about consuts all ot the interests so as to recommend a fair law and makes suggestions to Con- gress and some congressman differ with him, and hes is held up as tyrant try inE to force his views down the throats &Lmwiiing congressmen, and unwilling Hshators. he is.simply the President yet I And so he is in a bad fix. On the one hand it is said of him that he is not doing what he ought to do, and on the other that he is trying to frighten an unwilling Congress to do what it does not want to do.
 But this is government of parties. l vf nOf of we might as well go out of the govern- q ment business, for we will never get ahead | without parties How are you going to M give expression to the varying views of & | 0ON of people and put them into the !. form of legislation to be agreed upon bv kka majority of your representatives and N nnators unless you organize parties to
 slect those representatives and senators 4 ac agree within the party to subord- .te your less material prcdiIections and