The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-16
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
(By Charles H. Tavener, special
Washington correspondent of The
Reporter)
Washington, Nov. 11.-"As Mas
sachusetts goes, so will the nation
go in 1922"
This was the slogan of both re-
publicans and democrats in the Mas
sachusetts campaign. And the dem
ocratic candidate, Gov. Foss, won
handily.
The issue was the tariff and Taft
standpatism, the same issues that
will predominant in the 1912 cam
paign. Query: If the protectionists
cannot carry Massachusetts, home of
the cotton and wooden manufacturing.
industries, where the people are sup
posed to reap some OF the tremen-
dous advantages of protection, how
can they expect to carry the middle
and western states, in which regions
live the people who pay the excessive
prices caused by high tariff and reap
none of the alleged benefits of pro-
lection?
Why MIR. Taft Feels Shaky.
Here is article which speaks for it.
self. 1t is taken from the Dakota
Democrat, published at Aberdeen, S.
D., and is fair sample of what the
newspapers in the cities visited by
Mr.. Taft on his trip through the west
published after he had left town.
incidentally, this article in meas
ure reveals the sentiment which
prompted Mr. Taft to make his now
famous prediction Of republican de-
feat in 1912:
'The big event-Taft day at Aber-
deen-has come and gone Curiosity
to see the president caused thou
line and even give vent to few
feeble cheers when he spoke, but they
were not with him in any stage of
the game. Poor Taft! Big-hearted,
joviable and companionable, COM
moner in his bearing. Everybody
instinctively admires him for the per-
sonal charm of his manner. 1t is
too bad that such a good man should
be spoiled in trying to make pres:-
dental timber of him. We love him
for his large personality, but in view
of what he has done we cannot vote
for him again"
The President Voted.
The President got to vote after all.
A lot of red tape was necessary, but
he voted. And thereby hangs tale.
Six years ago Mr.. Taft made a
speech at Akron, Ohio, in which he
roundly scored the notorious Cox
machine in Cincinnati. He said he
\ 4,1,
against it. He declared this foul
republican machine was a stencil in
the nostrils of all good citizens. The
people of Ohio, realizing that Will
liam H. Taft was telling the truth,
applauded him vigorously and with
the utmost sincerity.
In the recent election Mr.. Taft pub
lcly Endorsed and voted for the Cox
machine, which is still the disgrace
full alliance of politics, corrupt bust
ness and the brothels that it was in
1905. But the president was there
with an excuse. He said that "con-
ditions had substantially changed"
Whatever the president was allud-
ing to, it was not the Cox machine,
for it had remained as foul as ever.
The only change visible to observers
is that, whereas six years ago Mr..
Taft was not a candidate for office,
he is today.
South May Desert Taft.
The prediction is made at the La
Toilette headquarters in Washington
that the administration will find it
impossible to send solid Taft dele
cation from the south to the next
convention.
For many weeks" says a state
ment given out at the La Toilette
headquarters, there has been signs
that the southern republicans have
been fearful that the renominating
of President Taft will be a serious
menace to their continued receipt of
bi-monthly checks from the United
ing the progressive campaign COM
mittee more encouragement than
any other section of the country"
War Time Prices Out Distanced.
1t no longer is necessary to bark
back to war times as an era of ex-
ceptionally high prices. A Washing
ton antiquarian has gone to the trou-
BILE to dig up list of war time prices
and compare them with the Payne
Aldrich prices of the present time;
as follows:
War time Article Present
$410 ........ Dbl. flour SITS
| &c lb. 49,. hams zoe to 28c
&c to 12c lb. lard 12c to 15c
&c Id. ..... cheese .25c to 35c
10c to 18c lb. sugar 49,. sc to &c
6 II lb. ..... beef .15c
SC ID. ........ shoulders zoe
13c to 16c lb. coffee zoe to 4Oc
Works Both Ways.
President Taft was angered be-
cause Congressman Littleton, of New
VOrk cnoko IN oNn1opo of