The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-28
NEXT SESSION
WILL TELL STORY
Events Then Will Either Make
or Break President
Taft.
ALL DEPENDS ON TARIFF
If He Can Get Bills Through He
Will Be i'll Advantageous
Position.
Especial to The Times-Dispatch. !

Especial to The Times Dispatchl
Washington. D. c., August 27.-Who
holds the key to the cellar door, Will
liam Howard Taft or the Democratic
leaders? Undoubtedly, SO far as COM
ing events are concerned, President
Taft has some advantage.
He is now in u situation where, il
he can get the tarim legislation he
Will ask for at the next session, he
will be able to enter the 1912 cam
paign with credit for having effected
important tariff reductions. OF course
he may not be able to get anything.
III may fall down completely in carry
ing through his tariff program. In
that case il is easy to see he Will be
in hot water.
Undoubtedly, there is strong demand
among the consuming public for the
reductions of duties especially on
those schedules that come close to
every family. The President has vetoed
bills for reductions in the wool sched-
ule and the schedule relating to man
ufactures of cotton. He will be sharp.
ly criticized, is being criticized already
by large numbers of those who want
duties reduced on the things that
every day folks eat and wear. But II
he can bring about genuine downward
revision of these and other schedules
next winter. even of these two sched-
ules alone. he and his friends Will be
able to claim a large measure OF
credit and they will get 1t.
Has Alienated Farmers.
1t Is entirely clear that the Presi-
dent has alienated some of the farm
ers by support of reciprocity, and that
he has gained support of many people
who live in towns and cities. on the
other hand, by vetoing the wool bill
| and the cotton bill, he has failed to
give relief to farrsers, and has turned
against himself many of the ultimate
consumers of the city who saw in re-
ciprocity step toward lowar prices.
The case stands. therefore, with
many OF the farmers aliented from the
President and with many ultimate
consumers in the cities who wanted
| downward revision OF certain sched-
ules. chilled in that ardor they first
| felt toward the chief executive. But
the President is not through with the
tariff
He has the tariff boards report com
ing. 1t is widely talked they will JUS
| tify low duties on wool and woolens
and on manufactures OF cotton He
VIII strongly urge revision on the lines
| of the tariff boards reports The ques-
| ton is whether tho Democrats will try
suffer at the polls for it. AT least
this is the view widely entertained
| among the friends of the President
and to considerable extent among
those who are not friendly to him.
1t Will he a singular spectacle IT,
during the coming winter. on the eve
OF the presidential campaign. there is
presented the scene of President Taft
setting before Democratic House and
Senate in c5htrol of Insurgents and
Democrats q tariff program which they
VIII have to carry out This is what
the men who are counseling with the
President about the campaign hope
Will result
To His Great Advantage.
Such n result obviously would be to
| the great political advantage of the
| administration On the other hand.
| there are dangers in the situation for
the President. Things may be SO ma
noeuvred that the Taft tariff will fail
! and the Democrats escape RESPONSE
/ bility for i, in the eyes Of the coun-
! try. The tariff boards reports may
! be in favor OF duties so high that the
| House Democrats will find Justification
hin rejecting them. or the Republican
! Regulars in the Senate may be the
! chief instruments in defeating revis-
| ion.
The next session is likely to make
or break the President" is an express
sion much heard about the Capitol in
the closing days of Congress. And
| when the tariff situation is cons dered
! and the inevitable recurrence of big
tariff battle next winter. 1t is not hard
TO perceive the reasons for the state
ment p. II. MEG.