Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-03-15
Taft Declares Party
Pledges Have Been Kept

| ed at all. Certainly It was not prom
ised that the rates Of luxuries should
be reduced"
Fight on Cannon.
Regarding the agitation against Cam
nonism, the president made the fol
lowing significant statement:
| But there are signs which many
construe as an Indication that the Re
publican majority In the present con-
gress will change to a Democratic
majority In the next. This is based
chiefly on the dissensions in the Re
publican party and on the very severe
attacks made by great many OF the
newspapers having Republican ten
I, denotes upon the party and its leaders
In congress and In the nation.
II am glad to say that. so far as the
legislation which 1 have indicated
above Is concerned, there seems to be
clear party majority in both, houses
In favor II its passage and the re
demption Of the party pledges. There
is. however, very decided difference
as to the proper rules to prevail in
the house, and as to the personnel O.
the leadership.
ut would seem these questions might
be solved within the party lines, but
they have been 30 acute as to produce
what has been called an insurrection
and to awaken the country over a
controversy between the insurgents
and the regulars, SO called. am
hopeful that as we approach the lines
Of battle for the next years the settle
ment Of these internal questions can
be effected without such breach of
the party as TO prevent our present
ing an unbroken front to the enemy.
Punish Party CORRUPTION.
II am far from saying that the
Republican party is perfect. M
party which has exercised su IN
power as 1t has exercised for the last
seventeen years could be expected
to maintain, either In its rank md
file or In its management, men OF tho
purest and highest motives; and /
am the last one to advocate any halt
In the prosecution and condemnation
OF Republican,, however prominent
and powerful. whose conduct re-
quires criminal or other prosecution
or condemnation.
1T should be well understood that
with the Republican party In its
present condition, with its various
divisions subjected to the cross fire
OF Its own newspapers and Its own
factions, any halt or failure on the
part Of those In authority to punish
and condemn corruption or corrupt
methods will be properly visited up
ON the party itself, however many
good men 1t contains.
I'VE shall be called upon to res
pond to the charge In the next cam
paign that the tariff, for which we
are responsible, has raised prices. II
the people listen to reasonable ar
guments, 1t will be easy to demon
strate that high prices proceed from
an entirely different cause, and that
the present tariff. being largely a
revision downward, except with res
pect to silks and liquors, which are
luxuries. cannot be charged with
having increased any prices.
Must Not Be Blind.
But this will not prevent our
Democratic friends from arguing on
the principle OF post roc, ergo prop
ter hoe, that because high prices fol-
lowed the tariff. therefore they are
result OF 1t. And we must not be
blind to the weight Of such an ar
gument In an electoral campaign.
The reason for the rise In the cost
OF necessities can easily be traced
to the increase In our measure OF
values. the precious metal gold, and
possibly In some cases to the COM
binations In restraint OF trade. The
question Of the tariff must be ar
gued out. The prejudice created by
the early attacks upon the bill and
the gross Misrepresentation of its
character must be met by q careful
presentation OF the facts as-to the
contents of the bill and also as to
Its actual operation and statistics
shown thereby.
Il believe we have a strong case
II we can only get Into the minds or
the people. Should disaster follow
us and the Republican majority In
the house become minority In the