The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-30
"SPELLBINDER" TAFT'S
 CAMPAIGN DOC.''

CHAMPAIGN DOC"
 Presidential candidates sometimes go sa-stumping or indite campaign documents. but it is somewhat unsual for Presidents to undertake the ''spell- binding task either orally or by the written word. President Taft has violated the traditions of Presidential dignity by writing a lengthy letter for publication in the Republican campaign book and obviously intend ed to serve as the keynote of the Congressional contest. He'o states candidly that the purpose of the, let ter is to secure votes for Republican Congressional candidates. Were it not for the fact that the people are much better informed than usual, the document might effect its purpose which is in the main. to draw Pro- gressives back into the Rergular camp. The contest, he says, is a straight Republican-Democr | is sue and mot what complexion of Republicanism one prefers" We doubt very much whether this limitation of the issue will 6e accepted by Pro- gressives, for it leads, straight Regu- larwards. II
 It would be better. the President says, to give the Republican party an opportunity to further redeem it's promises than to allow the Dem ocratic panty to formulate it's policies in legislation. As there is con siderable identity between Progressive
 
 Presidents argument is practically Anti-Progressive.
 Republican Congressmen will, he says, subordinate individual opinions to secure real progress" Did the Reg lars-Aldrich, Cannon, ct aldo so : at the last session of Congress? To use a current phrase. ''Not 50 as you could notice" It was to "the interests" and not real progress that their individual opinions, if any, were subordinated.
 The President assumes that a Dem ocrakic House would reject the Re publican doctrine of protection" Most ,assuredly it would reject the Aldrich- Payne type which is accurately des- cribed by the President in another paragraph of his letter as such. an ex- cess of duties over differenceSin cost of productions here and abroad asNhas been used to create trusts saitd$ "snp- press competition" Yet the President, in urging voters to disregard the .scomplexion of Republicanism' prac- tically asks them to endorse that ex- act type Of Regularism-
 Admitting that the Aldrich measure is ''not a perfect tariff bill or } complete compliance with the prom ises made" the President nevertheless declares 1t a substantial downward revision This is denied by, compe- tent experts. If true, the bill. would be that '-step toward free trade" which has always heretofore been de nounced by Republican leaders and organs as virtual treason to home in terests It. is rather unpleasant to find President Taft endeavoring to resurrect the stale old campaign bogy of free trade.'' }
 The President declares that the corporation tax is a just and requit- able excise measure" and intimates y needs should increase.--From this, we may understand that this tax is to be. increased whenever the Republi- can. policy of extravagant ,e8pendi- lures so requires. It was Senator Aldrich who, in an unprecedented burst of candor, admitted that annual expenditures could easily and safely be lessened by $300, ,00O,00
 MT. Taft speaks of the railroad bill as credit to the Republican party. As a matter of fact, the measure as originally drafted by a member of his Cabinet and introduced as ian'A 'Ad- ministration measure, was distinctly pro-raiIroad. It was amended into partial compliance with public sen tinnent by a Democratic Insurgent combination. The Republican regul- lars for whose control of the next House the President pleads, are en- titled to no credit whatever; they merely succumbed when compelled to.
 With regard to the injunctive pro- cess. the President states that the Democratic policy would create a privileged class of lawless workmen- '
 The President concludes his cam paign document by referring itO'sF his party as "the party of construction and progress and to the Democratic organization as "the party of obstruc- tion and negation." To credit the former with progress" when an able and influential element was compell- ed to accept Democratic aid in order to effect progress is grotesquely absurd: to attribute obstruction and negation'' to the Democratic party, when the votes of it's representatives in Congress gave to progress" what ever it gained, is even more absurd.
 President Taft's labored attehpt to turn back the Progressives is not likely to fruit.
 1Irf nr1n al In-