The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-12-13

or the judiciary; DuC, WIN uitecn
crowded tariff schedules to overhaul at
short notice, a president can hardly
be expected to make a radical fight
over each detail that strikes him as un
wise, and it would be the height of
| folly for him to veto an entire bill be
cause a few items in it do not appeal
to his individual judgment. Besides,
the tariff question is one on which in
telligent men may differ"
Explains His Tariff Board.
"Mr President you have been sharp
ly criticised for making up your tariff
board of men who are not tariff eX
! perts."
"And that is true; they are not. If l
had been appointing a board of tariff
experts / could not have got along with
less than twenty-five in order to do JUS
tice to ali branches of the subject.
What / undertook to do was to make
up board of trained investigators
capable of managing a thorough in
quiry into costs of production and of
analyzing its elements"
"Now that you have launched your
project for a constitutional amend
ment you probably have in mind some
particular form of general income tax
to recommend to congress when it is
free to actY'
"In a way, yes. 1 believe, on prin-
ciple, in a general income tax. The
only good arguments against it are
that it is inquisitorial and that it Of
fers a temptation to perjury. But l
would not resort to the ordinary in
come tax except in an emergency like
war, when l would have it graduated
so that those citizens who had most
at stake should bear corresponding
ly large share Of the burden of the
common defense. In time of peace l
would avoid temptation to perjury and
would confine the government to taxes
that do not involve such inquisitorial
methods in their collection"
The Work He Expects to Do.
"Now, Mr.. President, something of
the future What do you propose
treating as your calendar of unf1nish-
ed business for the rest of your
term?"
"In the domestic field I suppose re-
ductions in the woolen and cotton
schedules and possibly in the metal
schedule of the tariff will go to the
top of the calendar. These will be
founded, as far as my recommended
tions are concerned, on the report Of
the tariff board. l have heard it in
| xuiI Tnnt hood
the suggestions Of an executive board
AS to that l have no means OF judg-
ing in advance What shall do is to
put the whole thing up to congress
and leave the members to settle with
their constituents if they prefer not to
act. In the house the Democratic ma
iority have always professed them
selves ready to accept any reductions
they can get, and I am going to take
them at their word in good faith.
Where the insurgents will stand am
not prophet enough even to surmise
"For another thing, we ought to OBJ
tain some legislation which will en-
able Alaska to develop without in
fringing on our broad policy Of con-
servation. Then there is the question
Of ratifying the peace treaties with
England and France and the fiscal
treaties with Honduras and Nicaragua.
which in their way are peace treaties
also. as their purpose is to remove one
of the most prolific causes Of war"
Hasn't Campaigned For Reelection
81 assume that you know that it has
been widely limited that your tour was
the opening of your campaign for re-
election"
"Certainly. AS is the case with all
administrations, much of what / have
done since l have been in office has
had some political color put upon it By
i, those who were inclined to be critical
The truth is, however, that political
considerations have not weighed heavi
" with me. | have tried to do in each
case what seemed to me the wisest
thing regardless of the effect upon my
= own future. Indeed in more than one
! instance l have been perfectly con
, scious whose bad blood would bt
I stirred by some act of mine or some
q refusal to act. The circumstances thai
, the same persons who hail me aftei
p one application Of equal justice as
, farseeing conservative patriot denounc'
+ me after the next as an unreasoninG
9 radical does not greatly disturb my
o equanimity. 1 set that down as al
q in days work
I 81 am very grateful for the honor'
the people have given me. do not af
r feet to deny the satisfaction / shoulC
= feel If after casting up the totals PR
5 and con and striking a balance the!
e should decide that my first term hat
e been fruitful enough Of good to war
r rant their enlisting me for another
/ Any man would be proud of such |
!. verdict, but 1 have not been willing
e nor shall be, to purchase it at III
f sacrifice Of my freedom to do my dut.
+ as I see it. My happiness is not de
b pendent on holding any Office, and
Il shall go back to private life with n
q heartburnings IL the people, after al