Montpelier examiner., 1910-04-08
Gatherings Of State Bodies Are
Especially interesting at
This Time.
TARIFF QUESTION UPPERMosT
President Anxious That Republican
Meetings Shall lndorse the Meas
ure-lncome Tax Chances
Roots Letter to Roosevelt
Third Term Issue.


ly Republican, or in most of which at
least the Republicans have more than
fighting chance of victory, will hold
conventions for the adoption of plat
forms and the nomination of state Of
dcials. AS President Taft showed in
his letter to the Republican editors
in Illinois, he is anxious that his ad-
ministration as a whole, shall be in
dorsed by the conventions, and that
specific mention shall be made in
words of commentator of the Payne
Aldrich tariff bill
This desire of the president to have
the Republicans of the different states
officially indorse the measure to
which he gave his own sanction when
he signed 1t, and later In his speech
at Winona. Minnesota, is likely to be
provocative of trouble in perhaps a
majority Of the conventions. The In
diana state convention will be held
soon, and there perhaps the question
of whether or not to indorse the tariff
act. Is the most crucial
1t was supposed until recently, that
Mr.. Taft would rest content with
strong Endorsement of his administra-
ton generally. and would not press
upon Republicans the necessity of CIV
ing specific sanction to the tariff bill,
but the president seemingly has in
mind thought that inasmuch as the
tariff law is party act, any ignoring
of 1t In convention resolutions would
be tantamount to an actual declara-
tion that the party in some sections
is not satisfied with the measure.
Not All Pleased with Bill.
1t is not at all partisan view, for
the facts are too plain to be denied,
that there is in the Republican ranks
in some places, decided dissatisfaction
with some of the provisions of the
Payne-Aldrich tariff bill. The admin
istration knows this, and all the mem
bers of the administrations party
know 1t. and the party members real
ize and say publicly that the situation
which will confront them in the state
conventions is delicate one.
There are several high-tariff Repub-
licans who formerly were members of
congress, and whose terms of Office
expired last March, who have been in
Washington to tell the president that
while 1t is possible that they were de-
feated because they were high tariff
men, 1t is nevertheless true that the
standpat element of the party, even
In the states where downward re-
vision principles are popular, is still
strong and that this element would
resent at the polls any attempt to
sidetrack resolutions indorsfng all of
the acts of the administration, inc1u-
ding, of course, that which led to the
signing of the tariff bill
The revision-downward Republicans,
especially those from states where
the situation is such as it is in Indi-
ana, say that If the Payne-Aldrich
tariff bill is indorsed In the state con
ventions, thousands upon thousands of
Republicans either will stay away
from the polls or will go there to vote
the Democratic ticket So 1t is that
the president has had both sides of
the matter put up to him and he has
been forced to determine what to do
He apparently thinks that because the
tariff bill was a Republican measure,
the members of the party. even
though they do not like the tariff law.
should smother their dislikes and be
willing to have the measure indorsed
as one to which the party has given
its adherence.
The Situation In Indiana.
In Indiana when some of the Repub-
lican district conventions were held
for the purpose of choosing state COM
mitteemen, the administration was
given support in resolutions, but as
far as the tariff was concerned the
delegates contented themselves with
commencing President Taft for his
earnest efforts to secure a real tariff
commission The Democrats and some
of the high-tariff Republicans, say
that this was simply beating the devil
around the stump, and that the sin
Cling out of the tariff commission ef-
forts of the president for appreciation,
simply resulted in calling sharp atten-
ton to the fact that words of praise
for the main tariff act had been with
held.
It is impossible yet to tell what the
Indiana State Republican convention
will do in the matter of the tariff The
Democrats say they do not care much
whether the Hoosier Republicans In
dorse the tariff act or not, for If 1t is
indorsed the low-tariff Republicans
will be disgruntled and If 1t is not In
dorsed the disgruntlement will be that
of the high-tarir Republicans. The
Democrats seem to see victory for
themselves either way. On the other
hand the Republicans declare that
their party always has had the ability
TO get together when the danger of
being split asunder seemed most Inn.
minent, and they express the belief
that history will repeat itself in the
near future.
Chances for Income Tax.
South Carolina recently ratified the