The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-29
Reviews Promises Made
and Legislation En-
acted byC Congress.
SET NEW STANDARD
OF RESPONSIBILITY
Useful and Progressive.M Measures
Passed, and Return of a Major
ity Will Mean That Unre-
deemed Pledges Will Be.
Statistic d-Criticizes
Democratic Party.

! Democratic Party.
New York, August 2s.-The local
| headquarters of the Republican Conf
| gressiona1 Committee to-day gave out
| the following letter from President
Taft to William B. Mckinley. cnar1nan
/ of the Republican Congressional Con-
mittea:
Beverly Mass. August 90. 1910.
My Dear Mr.. Mckinley:
AS the chairman Of the National Con-
! gressional Republican Committee, you
have asked me to give the reasona
which should lead voters in the coming
November elections to cast their ball
lots for Republican candidates for Cou- Z
| gress.
| ! assume that when this letter Ia
given publicity the lines will be drawn
the party candidates Will have been
selected. and the question for decision
will be whether we shall have In the
House of Representatives Republican
or q Democratic majority. The ques-
ton. then. will be not what complexion
of Republicanism one prefers, but
whether it is better for the country
to have the Republican party control
| the legislation for the next two years
| and further redeem it's promises. or to
enable Democratic majority in the
\ House either to interpose a veto to
i Republican measures or to formulate
/ and pass bills to carry out Democrats
principles. Prominence has been given
during the preliminary canvasses Just
ended to the differences between Re-
) publtcans. but in the election such diff
, ferences should be forgotten. Differ-
ences within the party were manifested
in the two sessions of the present Con-
gress and yet never in Its history has
i ttn Rnynt hi 1fran ri fy acan ovo1 No
come responsible for as much useful
and progressive legislation. So. willis
issues will doubtless arise between
members OF Republican majority az
to the details of further legislation.
| the party as whole will snow itself
+ in the future, as in the rnst. practical
and patriotic In subordinating 1ndivfd-
IuaI opinions In order to secure real
progress, Hence it is important that
8 after Republican congressional candi-
dates have been duly and fairly chosen.
all Republicans who believe IN the
party principles as declared in Its ma
tional platform of 1908 should give
' port. If this is done there will he no
doubt of return of a Republican ma
. jority.
Democratic Reputation.
9 The only other alternative is a DEM
I 'ocratic majority. It Is difficult. very;
8 difficult. to state all the principles that
would govern such majority In it's,
legislative course. and this because
it's party platforms have presented a,
. variety of planks not altogether con-
sistent and because In the present Con-
, gress leading Democrats in the Senate
and the House have not hesitated to re-
: pudiate certain of their party pledges
and to deny their binding character
We may reasonably assume. however.
that Democratic majority in the,
House would reject the Republican doc
trtne of protection as announced I'M
1898.
What, therefore, has Republican
who believes in protection but objects
to some rates or schedules in the pres
ent tariff act to hope for from Dem
ocratic majority. which. IL allowed its
way. would attack the protective sys-
tenn and halt business by threatened
revision of the whole tariff on revenue
basis, or II prevented by the Senate
or the Executive. would merely do
nothing? ss
sucn a legislative program as that
set forth In the Republican nationaI
platform of 1908 could not be carried
our in full by one Congress certainly
II all Its promises are executed in one
administration 1t will be within
proper time, The present Congress has
Z not only fulfilled many party pledges.
but has by its course set higher the
:. standard OF party responsibility for
such pledges than ever before In the
I History of American parties. Hereafter
those who would catch voters by de-
I clarations in favor of alluring remedial
I legislation will not make them except
y With much more care as to the possi-N
= bility OF Its enactment In View of tna /
history OF the present Congress, the
return Of a Republican majority in the
:, next Congress may well inspire confi-
!, dence that the pledges still unredeeuled
: will be met and satisfied.
The Tariff.
: Let US consider summarily the prone
: tses made and the legislation enacted
. by the present Congress: First and OF n
primary Importance was the promise to
: revise the tariff in accordance with the
. rule laid down in the platform, to-wit.
Z that the tariff on articles Imported
should be equal to the difference be-
g tween their cost of production abroad
/. and that cost in this country. including
= a reasonable profit for the domestic
q manufacturer. a Very full investlga-
: tlon-fu!l at least, as such investiga-
tlons have been conducted in the past
!. was made by the Ways and Means Com
' mlttee of the House TO determine what
rates should be changed to conform to
e this rule. A reduction was made IN
/. 654 numbers and an increase In soma
. f220, while 1850 remained unchanged.
!, The bill was amended in the Senate,
\ but the proportion OF increases to ae-
!. creases was maintained. When signed
!, the bin accompanied my approval
: with the following memorandum:
: T have signed the Payne tarifr hill
I. because believe II to be the result
of sincere effort on the part OF the 3
Z Republican party to make a downward
/, revision, and to comply with the prom-
/, ises OF the platform as they havs
: been generally understood. and as 4
interpreted them In the campaign be-
i, fore election.
5 1.-THE bill Is not perfect BILL or
y complete compliance with ths prom
y iises made strictly interpreted, hut q
tulnlment free from criticism In ss-,s