Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-01
TAFT IN REVIEW
OF HIS OWN WORK
lcontInued from 3D. -
Problem Of the President.

lion to this view. for II committed the
party OF protection TO a revision. | have
Oeen trying honestly to keep faith with
he people who elected me on that under
standing. OF course we feared that there
might be opposition from the extreme
high proteotionist republicans in congress,
and not a few OF my friends have blamed
me for not breaking with them. thrown Z
down the gage Of battle, and vowing that
would stand or fall by the low-tariff
issue. They fail to reflect, however, that
was not only president Of the United
states, but head OF the party 10 which
these men belonged. l could not hope to
have assistance from the democrats. and
my battle was lost before It was begun
unless, by patient effort, could get re-
Inducements from the ranks OF protec-
ton republicans. Some Of these men were
amenable to argument and they had long
been leaders In congress. Ono must not
lose sight of the fact that. while / was
pledged TO insist upon lower tariff duties
there were many representatives whose
motives to protect the Industries of their
districts was just as strong as mine to
comply with my construction OF the plat
form. Former presidents had worked
with these party leaders IN congress, with
whom they were not In entire sympathy
IN order 20 make progress. Looking back
now on the record OF those first few
months, do not see that could have
done otherwisel Tor, however far the re-
suits may have fallen short OF an ideal
standard, II is on the regular republicans
l have had chiefly to lean for support.
Reductions Secured.
I'm spite OF such handlcaps. did Sc
cure tariff reductions on number of
itoms, including several raw materials.
induced Aldrlch to cut down his
amended cotton schedule about 10 per
cent. ! made like attempt with wool,
but II wouldn't work in either house. l
got hides on the free list, and lower
duty on coal. iron ore and scrap iron. II
the Payne bill had passed the senate in
the shape in which IL passed the house,
there would have been little serious CEN
sure OF 1t in the country at large.
realize now, though. that / made one
mistake: / ought to have made as strong
a point on paper as did on hides Chair
man Payne In the house did not like TO
80 down 10 y duty on paper but ne
voted for II rather than cause a split
Mr.. La Toilette consulted as to the
amount OF duty needed ON paper, and he
thought 81 was too low Tor immediate
application and wanted a sliding sca.e
OF duties from higher rate AS IT was,
we compromised on s37b The tariff
board has found difference of s. a ton
in the cost OF producing paper in Canada
and the United States and / believe that
~ uyo 40 -
the house bill, with the condition attached
OF free raw material from Canada, we
should have done the right thing.
PinchOt for High Lumber Duty.
but | could not get free lumber either.
The only way l procured any substantial
reduction from $3.50 was by sending the
conference committee an intlmation that
should veto the bill II II carried a lum-
Der duty higher than $l.25. took {
similar and equally successful stand re-
garding gloves, on some classes OF Ts-oh |
an increase had been proposed for the |
benefit of an infant Industry Some OF
my critics win ask If you could do so !
much In these INSTANCES by swinging your
veto club, why did you not use the same |
all a.onS the liner 1t is an easy |
hing TO take a stand on a moral issue
between the right and the wrong, or on |
'ne OF plain common sense like the ques- |
With fifteen crowded tariff schedules 20 |
overhaul at short notice, a president can
'ardiy be expected 20 make a radical
light over each detail that strikes him |
IS unwise; and II would be the height OF |
Jolly for him 70 veto an entire bill be-
'ause few Items in Il do not appeal to
his individual judgment. Bes.ues, las |
ariff question Is one on which Intelligent
men may differ. clifford Pinchot, for
Instance, threw his Influence into the |
scale for the retention OF 81 duty on i
lumber, instead OF backing a general eff
'ort to put IL on the free list. This con-
'ession 10 the lumber interests doubtless
vas regarded by him as justified by his
iced of the support Of the big lumbermen
n prosecuting his forestry work The bill
'arried only a 81 duty"
Program of Last Congress.
what Of your legislative program in
he regular session OF the Slxty-first 4
'Ongress?' II
There were three measures before the
egular session of tho Sixty-first con-
Iross which l considered OF prime inn
'ortanee; The railroad bill, the postal
avlngs billyand the conservation bill II
IN tho fra J the insurgsnt opposition
endered some OF the provisions more
lrasue against the railroads In lengthen.
ng the time during which the Interstate
Commerce commission could suspend a II
proposed increased rate from sixty days |
o ten months before rendering q de- II
'islon, IL necessary, and also In making a
'hange in the long and short haul clause
n the interest Of the interior shiwper. i
they also excluded some useful HmitR- II
IONS upon the railway companies. 4
lad recommended that no railway com Il
'any be allowed 10 acquire stock Of a Il
company, but with such pro- Il
'isions for resolving arrangements al Il
eady existing as would avoid conflsca- II
Ion. ! recommended also. In accordance Il
with the republican platform and Mr. L
toosevelts frequent recommendation. II
hat competing railroads be permitted 20 II
make thtrty-day agreements as TO the L
ates they would charge between common H
Joints, from which either OF the parties /
'ould reeede at will, The insurgents in /
listed on throwing out both these fea.
ures, because they found something IN Il
hem inconsistent with the Sherman act u
which In those days was regarded as the 4