New-York tribune., 1910-06-26
CONGRESS PROUD RECORD.
Continued from first page.

Chautauqua lecturers, without regard TO
the menace to the legislative programme
of the President and of the party which
their course constituted. Confronted In
the upper house, also, by conservatism
which regarded most progressive legls-
lation with adherence, which had Dit
terly contested each meritorious meas
ure advocated by President Roosevelt,
and which, with methods only less crude
and an opposition less selfish than those
of the Senate insurgents, was deter
minde, by indirection, at least. to pre-
vent the enactment Of the legislative
measures for which the President stood,
Mr.. Taft has succeeded in winning a
loyalty from the ''old guard" which has
led them to vote solidly for laws which
at heart they regard, If not with re-
pugnance, at least with a feeling that
they are dangerous concessions to
progressive spirit wholly at variance
with all they have long cherished in the
Republican party
Convinced that the Taft railroad law
in effect constitutes the Interstate Com
merce Commission board of directors
OF every railroad in the country; that
the postal savings bank will prove
dangerous competitor of every private
and national bank in the states and ter
ritories; that the statehood bill will add
four Democratic Senators to their num-
Der, and thus render their loss Of the
control of the upper house even more
certain; that the Investigations Of the
Tariff Board will rob them of the long
cherished privilege Of debating the
measure Of protection which their favor
ite industries shall enjoy, and that the
conservation withdrawal bill delegates
to the Executive a power to which they
are properly entitled, the veterans of the
Senate have followed loyalty the leader
ship of President Taft, and, regardless
of the pain to their time honored con-
victions, have done their part to estab-
lish that record OF legislative achieve
ment which has commanded the unqual-
flied praise of the nation to such an ex-
tent that even the Democratic news
papers have felt compelled to add their
need of praise.
There have been dark days in the ses-
sion just ended-times when all save
those who really knew William Howard
Taft almost lost faith in his ability to
control and lead the dissentient forces
he had been called upon to command.
There have been those Of little faith
who could perceive in his diplomatic
methods only a yielding to the forces of
reaction and an abandonment Of the
progressive policies of his predecessor
in his determination to clinch those very
policies, to square all things with the
law and to procure statutory authority
for every step he believed the. party
should take. Some of the shortsighted
ones have gone outside the breastworks
and have perished; but they are weak
lings whose loss will not be felt. The
great body of the American people, con-
fused by a change of method, but ami
mated by spirit Of fair play. has per-
sistently withheld its judgment until
now.
President Has Made Good
But the results Of the closing days of
the session have dispelled all anxiety
and dissipated all distrust, and every
member of the House and Senate who
has stood Loyalty by the administration
goes forth to battle armed with a con-
sciousness of work we'll done and con-
fdent of victory.
And President Taft may proudly and
truthfully exclaim, as President Roose-
welt so often did: "And, above all, have
not split my party
In the light of the achievements of
this session the people and their repre-
sentatives are beginning to perceive the
wisdom of the Presidents course with
regard to the tariff. Those who believe
that the rates Of the Payne tariff law
are hot low enough realize that by
means Of the Tariff Board the facts will
soon be demonstrated, that the just
measure Of protection IS to be removed
from the realm Of academic discussion
and partisan influence, and that in all
future revisions the platform pledge of
the Republican party to make the tariff
equal the difference III the cost Of pro-
duction here and abroad can be adhered
to with exactness, while those who be-
lieve the present law fulfils that pledge
feel they have nothing to fear from the
inquiry.
1t is further realized that the corpora
| ton tax, which has been shorn of that
feature of publicity which would have
proved detrimental to many competitors
in the same industries. will still procure
for the Executive, and through him for
Congress, a definite knowledge of the
need for protection which will operate
| as constant and effective check on the
Investigations of the Tariff Board.
And, finally. numerous more or less
eXtraneous events have served to con-
vince not only Congress but the peo-
pie that President Taft never lacks the
courage of his convictions, and that
whatever may be the revelations from
the returns from the corporation tax, he
will not hesitate to lay them before Con-
gress with pertinent and urgent recon-
mendations, and to follow those recon-
mendations by the exertion of an inf1u-
ence the potency of which has already
been amply demonstrated.
No Backward Step Taken.
This Congress has been marred by no
step backward No good law has been
impaired, no beneficial policy abandoned.
Adequate provision has been made for
the upbuilding of the navy and the
maintenance Of the army. No body Of
law has been touched save to improve
it. No cry of scandal has been raised