The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-29
ROOSEVELT ON THE TARIFF.

MI Roosevelt, as temporary chair
man Of the New York State convention,
delivered his expected "keynote'
speech. He struggled hard to find some
thing TO say favorable to the Taft ad-
mlnistration- His speech, accordingly,
is evidently labored production on
this point, not vital and spontaneous
as is Roosevelt s wont. He tries hard
to say what the Taft adherents would
like to hear from him, although it evi-
IDENTITY comes hard for him to praise
what he evidently regards with iudif~
ference. But he does speak good
word for the amendments 10 the inter.
state commerce law, the supervision Of
the issue Of stocks and bonds OF cor
porations, the law providing for pub
hcity of campaign expenses, the max
imum and minimum tariff provisions,
the tariff negotiations with Canada, the
employers liability act, the creation
of a mining bureau, the requirement
of safety appliances for the protec-
ton Of laborers, and so on, In no
case, however, is the Endorsement en-
thusiastic On the contrary, what Mr.
Roosevelt says leaves the clear i'm
preston that he would like to have it
different; but since it is not different
he will say what he can for it any
how.
1t Is when he comes TO speak of the
tariff, however, that he shines forth
all bIc ~rlnr,y Jtoy,.,{
of what has been done. Not one word
does he say in favor of the tariff law
save only as to its maximum and mini.
mum provisions, something that has
nothing whatever to do with the SEIZED.
ules. As to these, be is out of harmony
with them completely His Endorsement
is not for the tariff schedules at all. but
for the means taken by President Taft
through his executive created Tariff
Commission to revise and change those
schedules. His praise is for the able
commission that will entirely change
the present tariff rates. 1t needs no par
ticular Interpretation, therefore, to see
that he is absolutely opposed to this
law. In no word does he express his
with its schedules That sat.
isfaction is withheld, but is amply ex-
tended TO the recital of the means to
change them, Therefore in his opinion
they must be radically wrong Mr.,
Roosevelt is IN entire accord with Sen
ators Cummins, Dolliver, LaFolIette,
Nelson, Bevoridge, Bristow, and others
who made themselves so conspicuous
in opposing those schedules, and in
showing to the world the evil nature
of the tariff rates that are so loudly
and so ignorantly praised by Smoot
and his coat,tail supporter in Utah.
1t is most singular speech all
through for speech that was expected
to be at least fairly friendly to the Taft
administration; and it is not easy to
see how a speech that gives such a
direct and dreadful black eye to the
chief gem of all the collection of spark
crs in the Taft administration, can be
by any supporter of President
Taft, The speech will widen the breach
more than ever between "the old
guard and the insurgents in New
York 1t is idle for Mr.. Roosevelt to
make profession and protcstation that
he wants the Republican party to come
together when he himself is the most
powerful breach maker in the contest
Tor discord, the most conspicuous fac
ionist as between the factions Of that
party.