The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1910-09-02
CAMPAIGN FUND.
Finis Garrett Comments on Taft's
Statement


the press reports that the keynote lette
Of President Taft TO Chairman McKin
ley Of the Republican National Con
gressional Committee would recommend
further tariff legislation and reduction
on certain schedules, said to-day:
1t is very interesting if true, anC
since the message comes from Beverly
and is sent out under the sanction o
reputable press associations, it is pre-
sumably true. 1t is a concession, as re
ported, that sonic rates are now so ex
orbitant that unreasonable profits art
being made out of the consuming pub
lie by force of law, and the Presiden
recommends reduction, although he ha,
again and again declared the Payne bill
to be the best tariff bill ever passed by
the Republican party.
If, however it is seriously believed
that the letter will be a valuable Repub-
lican campaign document, then surely,
too much is presumed as to long suf-
fering public. The idea of getting in
formation that will be seriously acted
upon from the tariff board which was
financed by the last Congress is ridicu-
lous. That two hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars was not voted by the Repub-
lican party to obtain information upon
which to base a reduction Of tariff du-
ties. 1t was voted because the Repub-
lican party stood appalled, in the pres
ence of the maelstrom of criticism Of
the Payne bill, and believing that they
could direct attention from the break
ing of their solemn pledges made in
1908 by making more pledges in 1910
that appropriation, ostensibly for in
vestigation, was railroaded through. 1t
was simply voting two hundred ard fifty
thousand dollars out Of the public treas
ury for Republican campaign fund.
So far as the good it will accomplish for
he people is concerned, it might as we'll
lave been thrown into the sea-perhaps
then no one would have
oeen deceived "
HAD THE INFORMATION.
They had the information all right
when they were constructing the mon
'trocity called the Payne bill in 1909
It is a matter Of common knowledge
hat the hearings on that bill were the
most comprehensive ever had in prepar-
ng a tariff act, and every source OF in
possible was tapped. After
his had been done the bill was made
Up and jammed through the House un-
Ter gag rule passed by the Republi-
ans, insurgents and regulars alike, with
| few honorable exceptions, voting for
he rule. This rule prevented any OPP
,ortunity of amendment by the House
tself, except in few instances. 1t then
passed the Senate and went into confer
nee. By the time it was finished the
had written into il what they
lesired, and the consuming public was
eft with nothing to comfort it because
10 comfort can be drawn from chagrin.
They had the information in Con-
,ress in 1909, but those so-called in
urgents in the Republican party-men
ike Doliver and Cummins-wh tried |
o use it, got virtually read out of the
party for their pains.
1t will be remembered that Presi-
ent Taft in his campaign in 1908 CON
trued the otherwise meaningless tariff |
ilank of the Republican platform OF
hat year to promise downward revision |
i the tariff in the interest of the con-
umer. The bill did no such thing, but
resident Taft signed it, accompanying
is signature with an apology to man
ind. Later he went West and in his
amous Winona speech made further
pology by declaring in substance that |
he solidarity of the Republican party |
'as more to be desired than the attain
lent of an ideal tariff legislation,
'hich, by the way, is the one semi
pigram with which the President is
redited among his many utterances,
nd which is about the most remark
bic statement on great state question
yer made by an American President
Now we are told that the best tariff
yer made by the Republican party
lust be amended, though it is not yet
year old, and that same public which
still singing with shame and resent
lent over the preaching Of plighted
nth in 190S-9 is asked to again rely
pom the promise of the Republican
arty to amend it, a promise made on
ne eve OF election