Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-13

SENATOR La TOILETTE.
Copyright by Clnedinst.)
Senator La Toilette. In speech
against reciprocity today reviewed. act
by act, the administration of President
Taft in unsparing terms and declared
that the contest involved was the fight
between the plain people and confeder-
ated privilege"
considered as measure OF reel
procity," said Senator La Toilette Of the
Canadian agreement, cit violates every
tariff principle of reciprocity heretofore
expressed in the platform declarations OF
the republican party and recommended
by former republican Presidents. Con-
sidered as a tariff bill, it violates every
tariff principle and platform promise
upon which William H. Taft was elected
President of the United States.
I'm the beginning IL was heralded as q
blessing to the consumers. SO was the
tariff bill of 1909. 1t promises to reduce
the duties for the benefit of the people.
1t reduces no duties the effect OF which
can ever reach the people, but 1t does re-
duce duties for the millers. the packers.
Standard Oil. the brewers. the coal COM
bines, and in some measure for the al
ready grossly protected interests. 1t il
nothing that 1t pretends to be. and pro-
fesses to be nothing that it Is. 1t is q
little brother to the Payne-Aldrich bill,
the greatest legislative wrong inflicted
upon the American people in half GEN.
fury
The speaker said that the pending legis-
lation based on the Canadian pact was
Taft upon the tariff question and the pro-
tective policies which he was elected to
maintain that the real stable worth OF
his recommendations could not be fairly
Judged without reviewing the moro I'M
portant issues involved in his election and
the more important acts Of his admins
tration.
Criticism Is Severe.
Continuing his criticism of Mr.. Tafts
administration Senator La Toilette said:
Throughout the first pages Of his first
general message he found no space to
say a word for the great measures that
had made the name OF his predecessor
revered and loved everywhere in the
United States.
SIS 1t to be wondered at that the re-
publican voter in 1910 felt that he hadsev-
eral scores to settle? A President whom
he had elected, believing him to be the
custodian Of the Roosevelt policies, had
dismissed the Roosevelt cabinet and APP
pointed in their places men, In the main,
of known hostility to those policies.
I'm all the record of this administra-
ton. no more glaring example is present
ed of the complete surrender to special
interests and the complete reversal OF
Roosevelt's progressive policies than that
shown in dealing with the amendments
to the interstate commerce act. 1t would
have been difficult to have framed a
piece of legislation affecting interstate
commerce more harmful to the public
interest than the bill drafted by the At
torney General and recommended to Con-
gress by President Taft"
After reviewing the declaration Of the
republican platform of 1908 on conserva-
ton, Mr.. La Toilette went into the rec
ord of the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy
and the general administration OF the
Interior Department down to the recent
dismissal of the Cunningham claims
Fling at Ballinger.
The congressional investigation of tho
Alaska coal scandal" said he, confirmed
the public opinion which had early reach
Cd the stage Of conviction that Ballinger
was using his official power to aid the
Morgan-Guggenheim interests in wrong
fully acquiring control OF the Alaska coal
fields. The subsequent history OF the
Alaskan coal lands scandal simply con-
lie interest which the earlier testimony
SO clearly established
Heir to the Roosevelt policies. as
presidential candidate, Mr.. Taft was
pronounced progressive and the leading
pion from the first to the last Of the
campaign. Three months after he was In
augurated he seemed to have forgotten
that there ever had been any well known
Roosevelt policies. He had no sooner
taken his oath Of Office than he sacrificed
the progressive cause for the support Of
Aldrich and Cannon and their reactionafy
program.
Reciprocity IL q popular catchword.
The President seised upon Il. He made
an executive comp act the basis, not Of .
reciprocity treaty. but Of . tariff bill
Upon this false basis he seeks to force Il
through Congress without amendment or
change. AS . treaty II should have come
1t should have been considered by the
House and Senate. with due regard to
every industry affected. and subject to
whatever amendment II required to make
il fair and just legislation.
Violates Republican Platform.
''In letter ana spirit this measure vio-
lates every principle and every promise
of the republican platform. express or
implied. and every printed or spoken
word and inducement employed to secure
the votes necessary to elect William H.
Taft This bill and the Canadian pact
are cruelty unjust to $4,000, 900 people
engaged in and dependent upon agricul-
ture. Since the Presidents admission at
Indianapolis July that the bill promises
nothing for the consumer. the real parties
to profit are beginning to be a little more
clearly distinguishable.
Joined with the executive to force this
bill through Congress are the newspapers
frankly admitting their selfish interest
amounting te many millions Of dollars
the railroads. the over-protected manufac-
turers and practically every trust and
combination backed by Morgan and Nor.
gan influences"
The survey for the Northern Neck rail-
road has begun. II will be made first
sfrom boswell. In Hanover county, Va.
10 Tappahannock. In Essex county. thence
through the Northern Neck to Sandy
Point. in Northumberland, where the
terminal will be located.