The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-10-19
A COMPARISON OF REPUBLICANS

A COMPARISON OF REPUBLICANS.
President Taft now declares that
the days of the "pork-barrel should
be numbered and intlmates that an
other bill Of the character of former
ones will merit a veto. That Is a re-
form that all but those specially in
terested can heartily join in. But the
president goes much farther than that,
and reads congress and his party
lesson on the combination of congress
men to secure part of the swag as De-
ing 'as dangerous to the public veal
in certain of its aspects as corrup-
tion."
This indictment of republican leg
islation Is startling coming from this
source, and shows that President Taft
sees which way the political wind is
blowing and that he Is becoming moro
progressive. In the same speech he
further declares: THE evil In the
corrupt control of congress or a leg
islature by private interest is mani.
fest, and always calls for Condemna-
ton" It Is too bad that the eyes of
the president were not open to this
logrolllng process-if not corruption
when Aldrlch, Payne and Cannon
were forcing through the tariff bill
which he considered the best tariff
law that the republicans ever enacted,
but which he now says must be re-
vised forthwith by piecemeal.
A veto, Mr. President, of the tariff
bin which protects the trusts In plum
dering the people would have ever
lastingly made your political fortune.
The refusal of his constituents to en-
dorse the standpatter Congressman
Tawney, whom you especially went to
Winona to vouch for, shows that such
a veto would have been welcomed, ana
the increased insurgent strength and
democratic victories from Maine to
California indicate the same feeling
elsewhere
In extenuation of the presidents
signing the tariff bill, 1t must be said
that Mr.. Roosevelt during his seven
years as president refused to even
recommend any tariff legislation, al
though It's crying necessity was just
as urgent then as in 1909 The re-
publican leaders, with but few no
table exceptions, We're stalwart stand
patters, and Mr.. Roosevelt was more
subservient TO their demands Of the
tariff and other issues than President.
Taft has been. The great difference
in the attitudes of the two presidents
is that while Mr. Roosevelt was loud
in proclaiming reform with n large
X. he accomplished no reform during
his two terms Of office. while Mr..
Taft In less than two years has done
something and seems to be willing TO
try and do more. He Is making a
real effort to reduce expenses and eX-
trayagant ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
which Mr.. Roosevelt never did.
The moral of this story Is, that no
republican president seems 70 be able
TO divorce himself from the worst
element OF his party; and whether in
clined to stalwartism or insurgentism
he finds his hands tied. for both fac
tions declare that tariff protection
IS a cardinal principle OF the repuoli-
can party and revision of the tariff
IS only question of standing still or
a slight reduction.
when We hear OF a republican presl-
dent vetOing an appropriation bill or
a tariff bill which a great majority Of
his party has voted for, We shah know
with our eyes shut that the republican
game is about played out.