The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-09-14
WHEN THERE is NO PEACE.
Senator Cummins' indictment

Senator Cummins' indictment of
the President plainly enough carries
| in all of it's counts one very serious
charge-insincer 1t is supported
by some substantial proofs.
Before and after his election Mr..
Taft gave the progressive republicans
many reasons to believe that he was
in sympathy with them. After he
took office he co-operated with Payne
Aldrich, Cannon, Dalzell and other
standpatters in the enactment and
defense of the new and the higher
tariff.
When it seemed likely that a
national income tax would, be levied
by democrats and progressive repub-
licans in Congress Mr.. Taft brought
forward the corporation tax idea, un-
der cover of which the income tax
was killed.
When the protests against the ex-
tortionate taxes of the Payne-Ald-
rich tariff became too vehement to
be ignored the President raised the
Canadian reciprocity issue and made
that one of the excuses for vetoing
the democratic-republican bills re-
vising the tariff downward.
When the extra session of Con-
gress adjourned without accomplish
ing the ends to which both parties
were pledged-a result due wholly
to executive vetoes-the President
introduced his universal peace treat
les and now plans an extensive tour
for the purpose of interesting the
people in them.
In other words, both parties have
asked Mr.. Taft for the bread of I'M
taxed food and clothing and he has
fed them upon the stones of corpora
ton taxes, Canadian reciprocity and
international arbitration.
Proper enough in their way, these
things are not responsive to any
great popular demand. If they we're
presented on their merits alone they
were entitled to respectful considera-
ton. If they were introduced only
: to distract the people and take their
attention from more urgent matters
on which they were in a good mood
to demand action, it will have to be
admitted that their author was not
only insincere but crafty and un-
scrupulous.
So far as the President is now con-
ColuSu, uC WlouOo W ulSCuoo uulVcI-
sal peace. So far as the people of the
west are now concerned, they want
to talk about the binding force of
party promises and about Presidents
who forget the pledges on which they
were elected to office. If Mr.. Taft
can change the subject again he will
win. If the people can hold him and
everybody else to the old text they
will win.
Universal peace is a dream ON
which it can do no harm to dwell.
That humanity is tending in that di-
rection is not to be doubted. But we
are not to have peace either at home
or abroad as substitute for politi-
cal and personal good faith. Those
| who cry peace Whensas self-governing
! people are deprived 70 thair rishts
and thwarted ins tAsif NOR hy pira-
tons are singuIAFiy dull nQk Act-
uaally insincere. THE ie kAs & III no
peace while the sword nj s6ohtentton
and injustice is so gfarihg1y dis
played. There is nothing urgent
about official obedience to the popu-
lar will.
Mr.. Taft is not man who would
easily be suspected of intrigue and
sharp practice, and yet there is
enough in the record to which Sen
ator Cummins refers to make it
worthy of close examination.-St.
Louis Republic.