New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-10
Governor Harmon's Speech.


President Taft's attitude toward tariff re-
vision vas attacked by Governor Harmon
in his speech He said the Presidents
course in vetoing tariff bills passed at the
special session Of Congress indicated that
he had been reached by wrong advisers"
OF the Presidents objections to these bills
he said: These and other marks of pater-
nifty suggest the question whether the We
toes may not have been adopted offspring,
like the defence Of Ballinger." The Gov
ernor spoke in part. as follows:
He needed no commission when ne
promised a general reduction before his
election. nor when he called the special
session 10 keep the promise. nor when he
signed the bill that broke the promise, nor
when he confessed that the woollen and
cotton goods duties were too high. nor when
he made the agreement with Canada. His
position is simply that those who by the
trickcrv of tarir making have secured a
license 20 impose exorbit4nt prices on the
American people shall go on doing II in
spite OF the action Of both houses OF Con-
gress, until 1--WE men who are not respon-
Sible 70 the people nor even experts, snail
advise him how much these favorinG taxes
ought 20 be reduced and how to do II scien-
tlhcally.
/ Use Of Veto Power.
I believe in the veto power But II is 20
be employed only on the clear and posi-
tive conviction OF the Executive that the
public interest so requires. He is allowed
ten days To consider and decide. If he re-
mains in doubt at the end Of that time,
action on his part is dispensed with and
the judgment Of the legislative body be-
comes effective without IT, For the Presi-
dent to defeat the action Of Congress. es-
pcCally VIXEN IL follows the plain mandate
OF tho country, merely because he is not
certain about himself and wants 20 wait for
somebody else 10 advise him, is a new and
perilous departure from the wise design Of
the Constitution.
Not content with calling the majority in
Congress unscientihc. incompetent and
ignorant though in his vetoes he did so
in parliamentary phrase, the President
now, In public speeches, charges them with
insinccrity employing the ruder language
Of the stump. He says they were playing
politics
The Governor then alluded 20 his own
experience with the Republican Legislat-
ure of Ohio which. he said gave him "a
fellow feeling FOR Messrs Clark and I'm
derwood and their associates" and con-
tinucd:
Let our friends in Congress take heart,
for If what they have done is playing
politics" the people will cry. Go on with
TaRe the tariff out OF politics, say some
The President missed the best opportunity
there ever was 20 do this by not signing
passed by a Democratic House and Re
publican Senate. Obeying the command OF
enormous popular majOrities 10 which men
OF both parties contributed.
Rut the tariff will never be taken out Of
politics so long as IL is 20 be prosttuted
for private gain and those who get or
wish 10 get the gain can control the organ
iZatiOn OF one OF the great parties. For the
voters will always use the other party Tor
their defence, and the conflict VIII 20 on
until IL is settled whether privileged
classes or the people shall rule. for those
rule country in whose behalf the taxing
power is employed.