Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-02
Means Democratic Victory.

epublican alarm over the tariff sit
nation is unconcealed. Progressive re-
publicans are not at all in sympathy
with the attitude OF President Taft and
his "standpat' apologfsts. Even the
"standpat" apologists are making an
awkward attempt to excuse the Taft
veto of the wool bill and other tariff
amendments adopted by the special
session Of congress when a sincere ef-
fort vas made to relieve the burdens
placed, upon the people by the iniGuit-
Gus, "indefensible" Aldrich tariff law.
It isswen TO consider Mr.. Taft's own
words In his veto of the wool bill he
spoke of the popular desire, which
fully recognize, for reduction of duties
believedl to be excessive"
That same popular desire was made
manifest, during Taft's campaign for
election when downward revision Of
the tariff was promised, yet Taft him
self signed the Aldrich-Payne tariff
law revising the tariff upward, though
he declared that the wool schedule was
'indefensible"
Do you recall his Winona speech?
In it he declared: 81 agree that it (the
wool schedule) is too high and it ought
to have been reduced; it is the one i'm
portant defect In the present Payne
tariff bill, and 1 am quite willing to
admit that allowing the wooden SEIZED
ule to remain where it is, is not CON-
pliance with the terms of the platform
as l interpret it and as it is generally
understood"
Then came the special session. The
congress, whose duty 1t is to enact
tariff legislation and which is chosen
by the people to enact such legislation,
responded to the appeal of the people.
The voice of the people was plainly
heard on this subject at the last con-
gressional election when a democratic
house was chosen, and that democratic
house was chosen more because of
republican reputation of tariff reduc-
ton pledges made by Taft. ct al, than
for any other reason.
If the democratic house had failed
to enact tariff amendments such as the
wool bill, think what a howl the re-
publicans would have sent up all over
the country. The "standpat" press
could not have found words sufficient
~ severe to express their condemna-
ton of democracy.
But the democratic house and the
congress did put up to President Taft
needed tariff amendments, yet he
vetoed them.
Democratic House Leader Under
wood hits the nail on the head and
answers these "standpat" apologies
when he says:
Mr.. Taft won his election by a
promise to the American people to re-
wise the tariff downward. 1t is now
admitted by the president, as well as
everybody else, that the Payne-Aldrich
tariff law did not fulfill these prom
ises, and promises for a downward re-
vision are again renewed by the presi-
dent OF the United States, but in the
last congressional election the people
were unwilling 10 rely further on
broken promises and elected a demo
cratic house on the issue that there
should be an honest revision Of the
tariff downward.
The congress has presented to the
president an honest revision down
ward of the wooden, cotton, chemical,
and iron and steel schedules. It has
also passed what is known as the
farmers free list bill
The president vetoed these bills,
and has. with the arrogance of a
George the Third, announced TO the
people OF the United States that their
representatives in both branches OF
congress are incapable of legislation,
and that the people must wait relief
until a so-called tariff board, clerks
appointed by the president himself,
have ordered the legislative branch as
70 how and when II can enact laws for
the relief Of the American people"
The day Of national legislation by
special interests is rapidly drawing to
q close. President Taft and his stand
pat" collaborstors in the vineyard OF
politics will Try 10 regain lost ground
at the regular session of congress by
fsvoring tarif revision downward, as
the tariff board will be directed 10 sug-
gest perhaps, but that will be too late.
Democracy is in the ascendency with
victory in sight, and deserved, because
democracy IS responsive 10 the public
viii.