The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-29
TAFT'S KEY NOTE ADDRESS.

TAFT'S KEY NOTE ADDRESS.
The key note" letter of President Taft, in
which he undertakes TO justify the course OF
the last Congress and to outline the method of
the Republican campaign, is in essence a repetl-
zion Of the mendicant attitude which the Chief
Executive has lately adopted toward his party,
his enemies and his friends.
Just as-after having during long months
stood shoulder to shoulder with Cannon, and
Aldricb and Ballinger,-the President in the
moment of realization of what that champion
ship foreefts has Yainly sought to persuade them
to belated personal placement Just as-after
having drawn the all but open enmity of Roose-
welt, he at the last hour put forth Illuminating
plea for mercy~so when it comes TO digest
of what the Republican party under his adj
ministration has done and failed to do the real
crux Of the review is, as usual, a petition for
another chance, coupled with an attempt to re-
violated promise
In pursuance of this now characteristic pro-
gram, the President calls upon all' Republicans
to vote the ticket-any ticket-that may be
nominated by the party this Fall. He does this
necessarily with the full knowledge that his re-
quest implies in some districts the support for
the sake of party regularity of Insurgents whom
his own Standpat element considers anarchists
inspired with treachery; that it implies in other
districts support by Insurgents of Regulars
whom the Insurgents have not only fought day
in and dav out, but who--if the Insurgents may
be beleved-have the one inspiration in follow
ing public life to exact tribute for special priv
ilege from the labor of the public at large.
I'm this conflict of irreconcilabIe forces, the
President attempts to be concihatory He en-
deayors to avoid the taking of sides. He relies
. upon the precedent of Republican sacrifice Of
principle in the crisis involving the possession
of office.
He looks once more with the fondness of eter-
nal hope TO the prospect of the perpetuation of
the pavtv badge Where he a few months ago
cent lis Attorney General to read Insurgents"
out Of the party he now calls on Insurgents and
Standpattcrs alike TO vote for and love one an
other. In short the Presidents dctum is amy
thing. 50 that it be Republican"
To support this advice, the President again
discusses the tariff, again insists against the
proven facts of experience that the Aldrich-
Payne bill is in liae with the pledge for re-
" vision of the tariff. He denies the necessity for
the flight which has already opened within
the ranks. He asserts, despite a RANGER on both
sides, that there is nothing to fight about. To
this he brings bodness of assertion which he
has not lately evidereed, when he makes the
claim that the present Congress has not only
'fulflled many party pledges but has by its
course set higher the standard of party response
bilify for such pledges than ever before in the
history of American parties. thereafter he
declares, those who would catch voters by de-
carations in favor of aIluring remedial legs-
lation will not make them except with much more
. care TO the possibility of its enactment" And
he predicates this statement upon the charge that
~smany Democrats in Congress violated their
pledges by voting with Republicans on certain
tariff schedules, and then argues that it may
nevertheless be assumed that Democratic House
would he true enough TO It's party pledges TO
block further Republican legislation or even 10
B force the enactment of Democratic measures. As
N to the effect of the tariff biu the President as
serts that there were more decreased than in
= creased schedules, but neglects to state that
n the average duty was an increase. and
is careless enough to indicate that an increase
4 in revenue shows an increase in importation OF
6 raw materials admitted for manufacturing pur
poses at low tariff, in order that the manu-
featured article NAV be sold at the profit pos
Eible to an exorbitant tariff upon the manufac.
%sz tured articie-ptus the advantage given by the
u low rate ON the manufactured material. Even
& following the Presidents argument in detail. il
appears that the present tariff is the highest ex-
preston of the device of enabling protected in
dustries to enjoy monopoly in the first place
@ and rnonopolistic prices in the second place
In addition, full credit is taken for the Re
n publican party for legislation, such as that of
Is the railroad bill, which was made possible only
IN Democratic votes. This is natural, but we
think futile The fight of the Fall will turn
3 ppon the tariff, "A measure that is indefensibe
81 EVEN BY the President acting under and with the
ayics and arguments Of its sponsors. The key