Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-12-06
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

There is much interesting reading
in the message OF President Taft,
read at the session Of congress to-
day. The President covers q great
variety of subjects and succeeds in
fulfilling his constitutional duties to
the effect that he shall, from time to
time, give to congress II statement
of the condition of the Union. to-
gether with his recommendations.
The message is one that would be
expected from a man OF President
Tafts temperament. There is no
attempt on the part of the President
to railroad through measures which
he might fear a Democratic CON
gress would ignore, He lays the
plain facts before congress and puts
it clearly up to the lawmakers as to
what shall be done.
The recommendations regarding
conservation and certain reforms in
connection with the p~ostotfice de-
partment are practically the only
stand taken by the President along
progressive lines. 1t is hardly like
ly that the message will tend to heal
the breach in the Republican ranks,
for the insurgents will judge the
document as much by what it does
not say as by what it does say.
What the President has to say on
the tariff is Of first Importance. Re-
garding the Payne tariff act, he
makes a brief reply to the critics,
stating that some of the criticism
seems to be just, more of it un-
founded but too much Of it misrep-
resentation. He explains that is was
impossible, in the short time o n
gress had to pass a law, to get every
schedule exactly what IT should be.
In this respect he refers to the tar
if board as a means for securing
facts upon which changes in the
tariff schedules may be made. His
argument in behalf OF the tariff
board is that the question of the
rate of a duty imposed shall become
more of a business question than a
political question.
There is no doubt that this is one
of the greatest needs of the coun-
try today. Business has been con-
tinually stirred up by the agitation
Of the tariff, manufacturers not
knowing what rates shall be raised
and what are to be reduced. It is
to be hoped that congress will act
favorably on the Presidents recon-
mendation that the tariff commits
sion be continued. Let US, by all
get the tariff out OF politics.
The suggestion that the rates be
one at a time, as the COM
.T rH.rh 49,. |
mission is able to report, ought to
with hearty approval. 1t is
plain that when the great variety OF
is considered that a tariff
cannot be altered satisfactorily all
at once. AS the President states that
The tariff commission will be unable |
20 report at the present session of
and as he recommends
that action be taken only upon the
recommendation of the commission,
It is evident that the President is OPP
posed to any tariff tinkering, at the
present time. We believe that when
The Democrats take control of the
in the next congress, they
will be compelled by public opinion
10 respect the commission which the
republicans have inaugurated In or
der to make the tariff a business
proposition instead of a political
one.
Besides. the tariff question the
most important matters taken up by
the President in his message are,
The Panama canal, postal deficit and
conservation. In regard to the Pam
canal, the President tells of his
visit and goes into the matter
IF tolls to be charged in the use of
he waterway. Having reached this
stage 1t is evident that we are be-
to reach the end. The Pres
would have the income from
the canal sufficient to meet the In
terest on the appropriation which