The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-02
TAFT CONC|L|ATES
 THE PROGRESS|VES Campaign Speech Is Delivered
 At Public Banquet WORK FOR CONGRESS Taft Promises to Carry Out Party Ob- legations If Republicans Will Man-
 age to Retain a Majority
 in Congress
WORK FOR CONGRESS

puDuc duureSS or the present campaign at the. banquet of the National Repub- lican league at the Hotel Astor tonight
 The Presidents speech was marked by an unusually conciliatory tone toward the insurgent wing of the party. He gave ''all factions of the party due credit for their share in helping to put through Congress the legislative programme which the President took occasion to out line in some detail. The record of the past IS months he declared was an earn est desire of the party to fulfill It's plat form promises and obligations, and he promised that if the republican majority in Congress should be continued at the coming elections the work thus far left undone would be carried through to com pletion.
 Upon the whole republican party the President bestowed the title of progress sive.' Then he undertook to define just what is meant by progressive"
 "A party of true progress is not party of radicalism," he declared amid cheers. Tt Is not a party of ra-conservatism, - he added, and again was cheered.
 "A progressive republican," the Presi- dent went on, lis one who recognizes ex- isting and concrete evils, and who is in favor of practical and definite steps to eradicate them"
 Roosevelt Mentioned
 Twice President Taft mentioned Colonel Roosevelt by name in connection with the campaign against corporate abuses, and third time by inference, when he referred to the New York situation. The cause of republcanism in this state, he said, has been heartened by brave dec- laration of principle, and by the nomi- nation of a candidate for governor of the highest character and ability. At the same time MT. Taft did not take any al- together sanguine view of the benefits that are to accrue from direct primary experiments, but he hoped that the idea could be turned to useful and perma- 1ent betterment of politics.
 But however effective these suggested changes may prove at first" he added, q venture to say that no great permanent good can come from them unless they are accompanied by change in the in- dividual voter, and his awakening to the necessity for constant watchfulness and effort on his part to prevent the old evils from appearing in a new guise"
 
 directed the tariff commission to make no report of the work it had accom- plished up to thi stime until after the election. He took this step in order to lift the commission cut of politics alto- gether, he said
 Besides the President, Representative Nicholas Longworth of Ohio was one of the chief speakers of the evening His address was mainly a defense of the Payne tariff law.
 The Presidents Address Following is the Presidents speech:
 am here because believe this league is a most important aid in the upbuilding and defense of republican principles. AS President, I prefer to avoid partisan con- troversy, but there are occasions, and it seems to me the present is one, when 1t is not improper for me to discuss the issues soon to be considered and decided by the electorate.
 In the pursuit of promises made in it's national platform. the republican party. in the short period of IS months, pre- sented to the public as accomplished facts, the following most important legis- lation and executive action:
 The powers of the interstate commerce commission were enlarged. The commits sion was authorized to suspend any pro- posed increase of rates until the shipper should have a chance to be heard as to it's reasonableness. Interstate telegraph and telephone companies were brought within the regulation of the commission. . A new court of commerce was provided, in order that shippers and railways might secure prompt decisions.
 Railway employees were protected by a new safety appliance law.
 The employers liability act was per- fected.
 An inquiry into working mems compen- sation for injuries received was insti- tuted. An inquiry into the issuance of railway stocks and bonds was in- augurated.
 A new customs court was established.
 A postal savings bank system was au- thorized.
 A corporation tax was adopted, which is an important source of revenue and a new and effective method of assisting the government in supervising corporations
 Two battleships were added to the navy A bureau of mines was established.
 Seventy million acres of the public do- main were legally withdrawn from en- try.
 Twenty million dollars in bonds were authorized to complete reclamation pro- jects, after board of army engineers now at work should complete its investi- gation of existing projects. Enlarged appropriations were made to survey public lands.
 A definite commitment was made against the piece meal' or pork barrel" sys- tenn Of river and harbor improvements.
 New Mexico and Arizona were ad- vanced toward statehood. A peace commission was authorized An investigation into business methods of conducting the government was be- gun.
 The appropriations for the current year were cut $26,Oo0OoO below the appropria- tions of the year before. The tariff was revised without the usual disturbance of business. Because of its reductions of tariff rates It's maximum and minimum provisions, the free trade 1t secures for the Philippines, its fine rev. enue-producing qualities, the Payne law is a creditable bill.
 Tarin Revision
 Our platform promised to revisa--the tariff Immediately and also to revise it to accord with the difference between the cost of production at home and abroad. These two promises proved somewhat inconsistent, in that immediate revision conforming to such a plan was impracticable because the information needed was at once available; but the inconsistency was met by the provision of a tariff board to report the necessary facts.
 The new tariff commission, for the work of which $25O,0O0 was appropriated, has already completed its preliminary report, and the commission Is now at work in this country.
 I have authorized the chairman to make a public statement of the purposes and methods of the commission, but I have directed not to make that statement un-