The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-02-14

Administration Republicans in Congress
found a good zeal Of comfort in President
Taft's New York speech. As an opener
for the Congressional campaign they de-
clared II to be timely and effective The
'near-iusurgents" also We're pleased. but
the real slmon-pure insurgents seemed to
be considerably rufIied
The latter regard the reiteratlon by
President TAFT Of his tariff sentiments as
an unnecessary reopening of an old sore.
Senator Bristow. of Kansas, who insurges
probably harder tnan any other member
of the Senate, openly expressed his dis
satisfaction.
Senator La Toilette also was far from
being enthusiastic. and ii is safe to as
sumo that Senator Cummins Of Iowa.
and Senator Clapp. OF Minnesota, also
will find some grounds for complaint
As a matter Of fact, President Tafts
New York speech seems 20 have widened
the breach between him and the revolt
ing Republicans OF the MIDDLE West
importation Of Free Rubber.
As TO the tariH. said Senator Bris-
tow. when asked for his opinion Of the
speech. Il am stH standing upon the
Republican national platform. I state
without hesitation that the new tariff
law is not IN fuldllment of the pledges
made by the Republican platform of 1865,
nor does it carry out promises made pub
licly on the stump by the Republican
candidate for President n that year
Il would like TO have the details upon
which the President bases his conclusion
that the tari6 law was, as a general
proposition, a revision downward. He
says The iwEortauous CT free ram ma
terlals has increased IL the first three
months under tie new tariff law there
was an increase in the importatigns OF
free rubber Of more than NC@oCo0 "a
compared with the importations in the
corresponding three months Of the pre-
ceding year There was. on the other
hand. a decrease i'm the Importation OF
manufactured rubber. The duty on man
ufactured rubber was increased from 60
to 80 per cent ad yaio.em.
When any one undertakes to prove
that the new tariff law is a revision
downward, ne SHOULD give us details. and
not general statements From his stand
point, the Presidents speech on the tariff
was a good one. but the details upon
which he bases his conclusions are lack
ing"
Senator La Toilette begged 10 be ex-
cused from making any comment on the
speech at this time He referred 20 some
Of the figures given by the President, to
prove that the Payne Aldrich tariff law
was downward revision. and said he de-
sired to analyze the figures more care
fully. Senator Ia Toilette. it will be re-
called. caused TO be prepared in the Blu
reau Of Statistics, and had published as
a document, tables showing that the law
was not generally revision downward.
At the Presidents request. Mr.. La Fol-
lette submitted a table TO him while the
tariff was under consideration, but after
Senator AIdrich had pointed out certain
alleged faults in the exhibit Of the Senator
from Wisconsin, the President rejected
il. Senator Ia Toilette may have some
thing to say later in reply TO the Presi-
dents defense of the tariff law
Other Senators May Reply.
Senators Clapp, Cummins. and Deliver.
in the light of their criticisms of the
law as violation of party pledges TO-
tariff revision. also may feel called upon
TO reply to the Presidents speech. be-
cause Of the determination of the Repub-
ilcan leaders to circulate the speech as a
campaign document.
Insurgents in the House were much
more ready to grant a large share Of
merit to the Presidents speech Said
Representative Hayes, Of California. lead
er fthe Republican insurgents in the
House:
Il like the Presidents speech. He did
not dodge or evade any issue. It was a
courageous utterance, and he who reads
knows just where the President stands
on the question that he discussed"
Representative Hayes would not. how
ever comment on the possible effect of
the speech in the Middle West
Representative Gardner. of Massachu-
sets, another Republican insurgent. said
he had not read the speech carefully.
Those portions that / glanced over.
however" he said. struck me favorabIy.
That is all care 20 say about the mat
ter at this time
Republican Senators from the far West
ern States seemed to think that the
President had supplied in his speech the
only thing lacking to make him an eff
fective leader Of the party.
Spoke Out CourageOusIy.
Heretofore, in his desire to please,
which is one of Mr. Taft's most char
acteristic qualities said a Republican
Senator from q Western State, THE Presi-
dent has appeared to temporize. He spoke
out courageously. People like aggressive
and well-dehned leadership.
Senator George Sutherland, Of Utah,
said:
The speech is timely, and very strong
of the matter the President
discussed, framed in very excellent tenn
per. His analysis of the operations OF
the Payne-Aldrich tariff law is clear and
convincing. The Presidents statements
with reference to purely business cues
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