The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-02-17

Taft's speech In Now York Saturday
night at the Lincoln Day banquet
there. Il was expected that this speech
would be devoted TO a defense OF the
administration and ii was. In II Mr..
| Taft again shows the characteristic
which the American people are begin
ming TO recognize In him-the desire
TO accomplish the best possible results
but confidence in the worst of men.
/ He complains OF muck-rakers, and Of
others who arc attacking his admins
/ tration. and declare that IL Is rapid
/ ly fulfilling all the pledges OF the
party platform. He also charges that
many newspapers are against the
/ tariff because there was not a large
enough reduction In the tariff Of
paper He defends the tariff law, as
before. taking the word OF Cannon and
! Aldrich on what its effect is, except
,. that this time he produced figures
TO show that the average amount OF
duty collected during the first six
months OF the new tariff was lower
/ than during the last six months Of
the old. These figures have been dif-
ferently explained by opponents OF the
! law, and the truth does not seem
to have come out yet. But particularly
Pres. TAFT attacks the Insurgents again
and intimates that they are behay-
ing very badly, and show a desire to
break up into factions. at the expense
OF the party.
At the same time Mr.. Taft gave n
straight warning to the big business
men who have. Il is charged been
rigging" the market to prevent the
enforcement OF the law. lie declared
that the law had got to be enforced,
and that II business methods did not
conform TO the law, then the business
methods would have TO be changed.
Also, he declared again his intention
OF pushing the enactment of certain
laws which he desires.
II is felt here that Mr.. Taft is
strong for the right kind Of measures,
he is allowing himself 20 be constant
| " misled by Cannon and Aldrich and
Company. A while ago he announced
that the test of party regularity he
made was on the matter OF support OF
party measures at this session. and yet
he is now attacking the insurgents for
opposing Cannon and the tariff law.
{. and A have gained step with
him, there you see. When the insur-
gents showed that they could meet
the first test, G. and A. & Co, got
Taft to impose another. And Mr.. Taft
Ia spite of the tremendous lesson in
that article of the Chicago Tribunes
Is unable to see that the men OF
the West are not the ones who are
breaking away from the people. but
that ii Is the men In charge, the
stand-patters, who are defying the
popular will. Every once in a while
lie gets a hint OF 1t, but somehow he
does not seem able to grasp the fact
entirely. II he did, he would not be
blaming the insurgents for standing
By the party platform.
And, In view OF a statement made
on the floor of the Senate this week
by Pa Elkins, who is still snorting,
Mr.. Taft made a funny blunder. He
declared that the principle of the diff
ference of cost Of production at home
and abroad, had been the rule by
which the tariff ives revised. This is
what Elkins said:-
II never got a thing out of that
committee except during the consider
alton of the tariff. when l got a
few Of the droppings by begging for
them and voting for everything else
that was requested"
Here Is inside testimony on how
that committee (Aldrich's) managed
the tariff bill Favors were given TO
those who begged for them, and who
voted for everything. There is moth
Ing to show that the committee even
asked a question about the cost Of
production.
Meanwhile, things have slept peace
fully In Congress, and 1t is safe to
say t.at Mr.. Taft's bills are no near
or passed than they were a week ago,
except perhaps that for postal saw