The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-08-30
PRESIDENT MAKES DLJNDER.
Faced About on Tariff Question When
il Was Too Late-To Reconcile
Differences.
Columbia State.

Washington, Aug. 25.-"President
Taft has at last decided to play lit
tie politics, and he is, as usual, max
ing a. blunder," said a reformed Re-
publican formerly of Cincinnati, to
this correspondent today. He seems
to forget that the worst kind OF prac-
tical politics is for man to face
about It may be that wise man
sometimes changes his mind, and that
fool never does, as the saying goes;
but it's bad politics, nevertheless, for
leader to change front absolutely.
The remark was brought about by
the news that the president after hay
ing declared that the Payne-Aldrlch
law is "the best tariff law ever enact
ed" is now in favor of further re-
vision of the tariff. Carrying the
thought further, the former Cincinna-
tian said:
Taft has been claiming that he did
not feel that he could, as president OF
the entire country, take part IN the po-
litical campaign of his party for the
election of representatives in congress.
He has also gone on record as con-
sidering the Payne-Aldrich law the
best tariff law ever enacted. Now he
has come out in favor of further re-
vision of the tariff. He has reversed
his position on the matter, and at the
same time he has gone back on his
statements that he would not partici-
pate in the partizan struggle Of his
party; for everybody knows that his
declaration in favor of further revis-
ion Of the tariff is simply made for
political effect.
VIII Have Opposite Effect.
"But my candid opinion is that it
will have the opposite effect from that
which it was intended to produce. The
statement that the former declaration
Of the president,slauding the tariff law
to the skies, was based largely upon
the fact. that it contained a provision
for a tariff commission is very, very
lame. It is very late in the day for
him to discover the reason for his
statement in his famous Winona
speech. All these months he has been
understood to have been referring to
the actual provision Of the tariff as
applied to present conditions, and now,
after the insurgents have shown their
remarkable strength, for him to try to
make the impression that his admira-
tion for the Payne-Aldrich achieve
ment was based on the tariff commits
sion provision-it is mighty late re-
pentance People are not going to be
satisfied with that explanation of
change of front, it seems to me.
"Poor Taft, he has been Influenced
by the campaign necessities to make
bad matters worse. 1t seems to me he
has given the Democrats a good op-
portunity, in his efforts to straddle the
gulf between the regulars and the in
.surgents in his own party"
Trying to Get Together.
1t is generally regarded here that
the reported intention Of the presi-
dent to recommend further revision
of the tariff, by taking up individual
schedules and adjusting them to suit
conditions, without touching the 9TH
er portions of the law, is a move in
the direction of getting the two fac
ions of his party together It is also
regarded as practically a confession
that the party is in the worst straits
Imaginable. Comparison is made to
the case of Beveridge. He became an
insurgent only when he found it was
necessary for his political salvation,
and now it looks very much as if he is
going to lose out after all. It is
pointed out that the president, as the
head Of his party, had no intention Of
making any concessions to the insur-
gents until he discovered that the in
. surgents were rapidly gaining ground.
in spite Of efforts to crush them; and
that he, like Beveridge, is making con-
cessions to the popular will only when
he considers it necessary for the sal
vation of his party. The comparison
is carried further by the political
prophets, and the defeat of his party,
as well as the defeat of Beveridge, is
freely predicted. And it will be due,
they say, to the fact that political exi-
gencies brought about the change in
front in each case. T. H. D.
TAFT WILL. KEEP HANDS OFF.