Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-12
TAFT STANDS OUT
DESPITE THREATS
PRECEDENT SHOWS BACKBONE
IN HIS FIGHT FOR REcIPRoc-
ITY AGREEMENT.
TELLS NATIONAL GRANGE
TO DO ,Ts WORST
Taft Takes Up Cause Of "Uitimats
Consumer and Politicians Are sss.
ing Possibilities of Landslide to
President on That lssue-ot!,cr Poll
tieians Astoundsd.
especial Correspondence.

WASHINGTON, May 12.-NothinS that
has happened in Washington in recent
months has caused more OF STIR
among the politicians than the speech
which was made the other day to rep
resentatives of the grange by President
Taft. Reduced to the language that
everybody understands, the president
told the gentlemen representing the
grange who called on him and told him
about the dangers of reciprocity and in
effect held the club Of political retalia-
ton over his head that II they did not
like 1t they could do as they pleased
about 1t. President Taft did not ex-
actly tell his visitors to go to warm
er community, but he came close to US
ing that language.
Politicians Shocked.
OF course, when president INDUCES
In any such plain speaking as this the
politicians hold up their hands and
wonder what is going to come OF 1t all.
Just now they are saying that the ef-
.ec. &c this speech will he TO bury
President Taft so deep In bal
lots in the elections Of next year that
he will not be able to get out for
months.
AS a matter Of fact. the politicians
have been talking with great frank
ness about the case Of President Taft
for months. Most OF them agree that
he is not going to be reelected provid-
ed the democrats nominate a strong
candidate. The democratic politicians.
OF course, aver this. Most Of the regu-
lar republicans say the same thing.
Some OF the regulars want the presi
dent to succeed himself and others do
not AS for the insurgent republicans.
most Of them are hostile to President
Taft and want him defeated. tho It can
not be said this 70 true OF all OF them.
In general way. this represents the
situation as 1t has existed here FOR
many weeks. Now, on top of this,
comes the advocacy Of Canadian reel
procity by the president This has re-
suited IN more or less OF a protest from
the farmers. especially those in the
border states. The opponents Of Presi-
dent Taft say that the advocacy Of re-
ciprocity and especially the virtual de-
fence Of those farmers who are against
reciprocity by the president much act
yates his difficulties
Another Side 70 Situation.
S5uI xOSIe II dnOt11cf SI00 ~ liiS 81
uation. In the first place. 1t Is quite
clear that only part Of the farmers
are opposed to the Canadian agree
ment. In the second place. the question
Il raised to what extent President Taft
by his fssitf for reciprocity il going to
rally &c, his support the ultimate con-
sumers of the United States who live
IN the cities and towns. Tho agitation
Of the tarin question today 10 due to
the protest Of the ultimate consumers
against the high cost OF living. With
out any doubt, the character OF the
population Of the country Is changing.
rrne United States is becoming ma
ion In which the number Of consum-
ers II growing by leaps and bounds
md the relative number OF producers
is diminishing.
President Taft In his advocacy Of re-
ciproci:y has taken the side. as gener-
ally cons'dAre' OF the consuming pub
~. This rc'ses the question in a po-
I;.fcal wav. whether the consumers Of
TIE country are going to stand by him.
In ctlie- words. the question is
vi -,,'-r the president Will gain as
r-.s, or more support from the con-
suI.,ers as he is going to lose from
.S,-e producing elements that oppose
re jp-oe.ty or any reduction Of tariff
duties.
Expects Loss Of Votes.
president Taft himself II not look
ing for anything but loss OF votes from
the advocacy Of reciprocity. He did
not take the matter up for the sake OF
political advantage. He realizes as well
as any one that ne win probably suffer
severe political consequences. Still. 1t
might happen to turn out the other
way And this is what the political
wiseacres are wondering about. They
are specializing whether after all 1t
might not happen that the downtrod-
den ultimate consumer who has been
getting the worst Of 1t 80 long might
not go to the polls in such numbers
next election day as to smash all cal
culations and keep Mr.. Taft In Office.
The tables Of probabilities do not In
dictate that anything Of the kind Will
t,a Ynen Rut there Is vet 1ust the Dos