Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-29
TAFT MAKES PLEA
FOR PARTY PEACE
President Writes of Congress
SionaI Election to Chairman
w. B. Mckinley
DEMOCRATIC POWER FEARED
Executive Declares Duties Have
Not Been Responsible for
sa High Living Cost
DEMOCRATIC POWER FEARED
HFrlEI
ASSOCIATED Press)


Tafts letter to w. B. Mckinley, chair
man of the Republican congressional
committee, was made public tonight
by the New York headquarters of the
committee.
The president, in the communication,
says that differences between Republi-
cans should be forgotten in the con-
gressional election, and that all "Re-
publicans who believe in the party
principles as declared in its national
platform of 1908 should give the can
ddates loyal and effective support. II
this is done there will be no doubt of
a return of a Republican majority"
AS to the tariff, the president says:
1T seems to me that all Fsepubli-
cans-conservative, progressive and
radical-may well abide the situation
with respect to the tariff until evil
dence now being accumulated shall
Justify changes in the rates"
Mr.. Taft's plan for revision by con-
gress of individual schedules after
investigation by the tariff commission,
is disc" "ssed in this connection. The
president reviews the more important
legislation enacted by congress, in full
fillment of its promises, and says:
WANTS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
"It is of the utmost Importance to
make this a campaign of education as
to facts and clear away the clouds of
Misrepresentation that have obscured
the real issues"
The letter follows, in part:
Beverly, Mass, Aug. 20, 1910.
"My Dear Mr.. Mckinley: AS chair
man of the National Republican Con-
gressional committee, you have asked
me to give the reasons which should
lead voters in the coming November
election to cast their ballots for Re
publican candidates for congress.
II assume that when this letter is
given publicity the lines will be
drawn, the party candidates will have
been selected, and the question for de-
cision will be whether we shall have in
the houue of representatives. a Republi-
can or Democratic majority. The
question then will be not what COM
pleXion of Republicanism one prefers,
and whether it is better for the coun-
try to have the Republican party con-
troll the legislation for the next two
years and further redeem its promises,
or to enable a Democratic majority
in the house. either to interpose a veto
to Republican measures, or to formu-
late and pass bills to carry out Demo-
cratic principles.
prominence has been given during
the preliminary canvass just ended to
the differences between Republicans,
but in the election such differences
should be forgotten. Differences with
in the party were manifested in the
two sessions of the present congress,
and yet never in its history has the
Republican party passed and become
responsible for as much useful and
progressive legislation.
AID ASKED FOR CANDIDATES
$50. while issues will doubtless arise
between members of a Republican
majority as to the details of further
legislation. the party, as whole, Will
show itself in the future, as in the
past, practical and patriotic in subor-
dnating individual opinions in order
to secure real progress. Hence II is
important that after Republican con-
gressional candidates have been duly
and fairly chosen, all Republicans who
believe in the party principles as de-
clared in its national platform of 1908,
should give the candidates loyal and
effective support If this is done,
there will be no doubt of a return of
a Republican majority.
"The only other alternative is a
Democratic majority. We may reason
ably assume, however, that Demo-
cratic majority in the house would
reject the Republican doctrine of pro-
lection as announced in 1908
what, therefore, has q Republican
who believes in protection, but objects
to some rates or schedules in the pres
ent tariff act, to hope for from a
Democratic majority, which, if allowed
its way, would attack the protective
system and halt business by a threat
ened revision of the whole tariff on
revenue basis, or, if prevented by the
senate or the executive, would merely
do nothng?"
President Taft then discusses the
promises made and the legislation en-
acted by the present congress, discuss
ing in detail the tariff, the number of
reductions and increases made, and
quoting the memorandum he made
when he signed the bill. Continuing,
the letter says:
"The tariff bill has been criticised for
certain of it's rates and schedules.
Some of the criticisms are Just and
some are. wide Of the mark and most
unjust.
EXCESS OF TARIFF RATES
"The truth is that under the old pro-
tective idea the only purpose was to
make the tariff high enough to protect
the home industry. The excess of the
tariff over the difference of the cost of
production here and abroad was not
regarded as Objectionable because it
was supposed that competition between
those who enjoyed the high protection
would keep the price for the consumer
down to. what was reasonable Tor the
manufacturer. The evil of excessive
tariff rates, however, showed itself in
the temptation of manufacturers to
combine and suppress competition and
then to maintain the price so as to take
advantage of the tariff rate over the
difference between the cost OF produc-
ton abroad and here.
"The Payne tariff bill is the first bill
passed by the Republican party in
which the necessity for reducing rates
to avoid this evil has been recognized
and it Is therefore a decided step in the
right direction and it ought to be ac-
cepted as such. on the whole, it was
a downward revision, particularly on
articles of necessity and on raw ma
terials. The actual figures on the first
years operation of the law demonstrate
this. It must also be remembered that
the tariff rates in the new law on i'm
ported liquors, wines and silks We're
increased substantially over the Ding
lev rates, because these were luXuries
and it was intended to increase the
revenue.
CAUSES FOR HIGH PRICES
The charge that the present tariff is
responsible for the increase in the
prices of necessities is demonstrably
false because the high prices, with
very few exceptions, affect articles in
to,iff ttDoD which there WAS no