Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-03-19
TAFT TALKS ON
LEGISLATION
Tells of Measures He is Anxious
to Have Become Laws


dress before the Rochester chamber
of commerce, again appealed to men,
beers Of congress to sacrifice their in
dividual opinions that the platform
promises OF the republican party
might be fulfilled and he hoped the
party would show that it has "the
sense and the discipline to meet its
responsibilities"
The impression had got abroad
that the president might have some
thing to say tonight on the acute
situation in the house OF representa-
tives at Washington, but this was
his nearest reference to the subject.
At one point OF his speech, which
was devoted entirely to the legisla-
tion he had recommended In the last
few months, the president further
declared:
IL this congress is to be treated as
republican congress these things
ought to pass in fulfillment OF party
pledges. After this is done 1t does
not matter what happens the next
election. We will have done some
thing; the country will be grateful
whether 1t thinks 1t ought to express
this gratitude in the immediate flu
ture or not"
DO What Is Right.
Mr.. Taft constantly was interrupt
ed by applause and when, toward the
end of his remarks, he declared with
great emphasis. he had tried as presi-
dent to do what he believed was
right, rather than those things that
would bring political strength, the
aurience of nearly 1000 business
men stood up and cheered for sew
eral minutes. The president spoke
with great earnestness throughout.
He declared he had been told he was
no politician and dire things had
been predicted. He believed, how
ever, in the end that the people
would find the measures recommend
ed congress were right and that
right, after all, was the very best
Of politics.
s'Bad Politics."
President Taft summed up the
things he declared had caused some
of his advisers to characterize him as
bad politician.
First, he said, there was the tariff
law and a new tariff bill always de-
feats party.
Second, had come the corporation
tax, bringing with it the energy of
everybody directly or indirectly inter-
ested in the more than 100000 cor
porations affected.
Third, there was the alleged"
postal deficit that had been charged
to the carrying of magazines and per-
iodicals at 1 cent pound. That
was bad politics, because 1t arrayed
all the magazines and periodicals
against l16 H.
Fourth, congress only reduced the
duty on print paper 80 per cent in
stead of putting 1t on the free list.
This offended the newspapers.
And, last, the postal savings bank
bill had turned all the bankers
against the administration.
49," he continued, my friends
don't see just where we are coming
out. But / am confident In the end
the measures will approve them
selves. The troubles we most fear
are those that never come. The
measures promised ought to be adopt
ed, not because they will give US po-
litical strength, but because they are
right. And If they are right the peo-
pie will find them TO be right and
that it is the best politics in the end. ;"
Measures That should Pass.
The president referred to the meas
ures he hoped congress would adopt
at the present session, in the follow
ing order: The bin amending the
interstate commerce law, the bill for
postal savings banks, the anti-in-
junction bill, the statehood bill and
the conservation bills.
After he had explained briefly the
provisions OF those measures, the
president continued: Zone great
dificulty about being president, and
I assure you there are a great many
of them. is, he is the titular head of
the party and made responsible for
the laws adopted by the party. al