The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-04-16

by men who are content to endure
misrepresentation and misinterpreta-
tion of their acts, and to look to the
future, rather than to the present,
for a vindication of their motives and
a justifiaction of their deeds
THE Administration of President
Taft has been in office a little more
than year. That 1t has accomplish
ed much in that time is abundantly
attested by the volume of criticism
and by the increasing vehemance of
attacks upon it."
Mr. Wickersham then went on to re-
view the Presidents acts, his recon-
mendations to Congress and his efforts
to secure legislation promised in the
Republican platform. The corpor-
alton tax, he said, was a practical
application of the provisions Of the
party pledge. which declared for
strengthening the law against trusts
that it's real objects might be better
attained. 1t was perfectly legiti-
II,
he said. by which Federal supervision
over business Of corporations could be
established and the knowledge OBJ
tanned would be a long step toward
that supervisory control Of corpor-
ations which might prevent further
abuses Of power.
People who had for years been
clamoring for greater publicity in the
affairs of corporations and Govern
ment supervision became highly in
dignant, when they found that their
own particular corporations we're re-
Quired to make returns as we'll as
their neighbors. What they wanted
was publicity for others-and not for
themselves" he exclaimed.
'The Attorney General declared
that the work of the tariff commission
is meeting the appreciation it deserv-
es, and said it provided the best and
most careful investigation Of facts
for future revision Of the tariff. He
read a resolution endorsing the COM
mission recently passed by the board
of directors Of the National Tariff
Commission Association"
The correction is subject to the
same provision Of release as the
matter which II affects.
The Presidents special messages,
Mr. yVickarSbor, oddoa hoa $4,000.
mended amendments to the Inter-
State commerce law, Federal incor-
poration. postal savings banks, uni
form safety appliances on railroad
trains, changes to make the en-
ployers' liability Act more easy to
enforce. intelligent conservation laws,
readjustment Of mail rates and re-
vision Of the customs law. The Presi-
dent had placed before Congress for
enactment into law, he declared, all
those measures which the Republican
party had pledged itself to adopt,
and IL Congress should adjourn with
out enacting them, then upon Con-
gress and not the President, rested
the responsibility for the breach of
faith.
But Mr.. Wickersham expressed the
conviction that the Presidents pro-
Sramme would go through.
II am firmly persuaded that these
measures will not fall" he said,
"and that despite the efforts of in
dividuals to magnify their own par
ticular Importance at the expense of
party loyalty and party honor, the
Republican majority in Congress will
make good the party pledges and
give to the country the benefit of that
legislation the party has promised
and which the President has so clear
ly and so forcefully outlined"
Economies Of the expense of con-
ducting the Government, the speaker
discussed exhaustively. For the first
time in the history of the country, he
said, a comprehensive budget had
been prepared dealing with estimated
expenditures and the means of rails
ing money to defray them. The fiscal
year ending in June. 1911, would see
saving of more than $94,O0O,0OO
over 1910 and s55,OOO,OOO less than
the appropriations for the latter year
There has never been such a re-
duction in the history of the Govern
ment." he said, nor is there any rec.
ord of any effort by any other admin
istration to reduce estimates similar
TO that made by department heads
this year"
The work of the department he re-
viewed, saying the navy had suffered
from frequent change of secretaries;
M oh.