The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1911-03-16
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot.

Term With a Record of Performance
Practically Barren.
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot.
Seldom, il ever, in the history OF
the government, has an administra-
ton, in which the Executive and both
branches OF Congress were Of the
same political family, had so little OF
accomplishment to show at the end
of two years as that President Taft
can point to.
Beginning with an ambitiously
comprehensive programme OF legisla-
ton, and long list of reform meas
ures, Mr.. Taft comes to the end OF
the first half of his term with a record
Of performance practically barren.
Not only have his special recommen-
datiOns failed, almost without excep-
ton, of passage into law, but this
failure has proceeded in most in
stances from repeated refusals of Re
publican Senators and Representa-
tives to follow his leads, and at the
last he found himself powerless to OBJ
tain the assent of the Senate to a bill
which he had made his own and de-
pendent for it's carriage through the
House on the practically unanimous
support OF the Democratic members.
Since his inauguration two years
ago the President has been constant
ly at odds with one element or the
other, the reactiOnary OF the progress
sive, of his party in Congress. He
has leaned first to one and then to
the other, winning thus the hearty
cooperation of neither. Finally his
shifting courses forfeited the conf
dence Of both. In accepting the
Payne Aldrich tariff he arrayed
against himself that faction which
had invested faith in his pledges for
downward revision and which resent
ed the brand OF insurgency from one
who had enlisted them in the cause
Of reform and then desertedit. Later
he repented OF the alliance with Aid
rich and Cannon, hung out flag OF
truce to the friends his instability
had estranged, and set about the
building OF plans to modify the terms
of that law which he had declared to
be the best on the subject ever adopt
ed by a Republican Congress. A
Tariff Commission was proposed that
should investigate the duties, sched-
ule by schedule, and gradually point
the way to an adjustment acceptable
to the body of the people. This prop
OsitiOn was relied on to arrest the
growth OF popular discomfort and to
furnish n ground on which the Stand
patters and Progressives might get
together and present q solid front to
the common enemy.
Then came the elections OF 1910.
Their verdict was distinct repudia-
ton OF the one important enactment
OF the Taft regime, and the President
was left with only four months inter-
vening between himself and Demo-
cratic House OF Representatives.
Something must be done to restore
Republican prestige before the Presi-
Dental contest of 1912 and must be
done quickly. Reciprocity with Cana
da was determined on as Offering a
solution OF the many-sided problem.
There must be something to go be-
fore the country on; that something
must wear the semblance of re-
spouse to the public demand for a
reduction OF the tax on consumers; it
must also not directly attack the
general principle of protection; and
above all it must come from Repub-
lican sources that the benefit accru-
ing might be attributed to Republi-
can craftsmanship.
The measure, wisely conceived and
adriotly drawn, proved acceptable to
neither wing of the Republican forces
in Congress. The regulars attacked
it as essentially repudiative of the
theory OF Protection; the refOrmers
assailed it as falling far short OF an
equitable relaxation of trade restric-
tions between the United States and
their nearest neighbor. Half the Re-
publicans in the House voted mo"
on the motion to ratify, whereas all
the Democrats but six answered
Aye" to the roll call. In the Senate,
the ObstructiOnist Hale and the pro-
gressive Cummins joined hands to
Kill the compact; and so the last ef-
fort OF Republican President to
unity his party on popular issue
served only to emphasize his loss OF
| influence over the forces which had
| elected him, and he was forced to the
expedient OF an extra session in the
hope that a Democratic House and
Senate largely altered in political
complexion might redeem his ad-
ministratiOn from the reproach OF
impotence in the eyes of the outside
world
Aside from this signal demonstra-
ton of the disordance of sentiment
and purpose between the President
and his party in Congress, which
must reflect dissension equally wide,
and deep among the rank and file,
| the closing session of the Sixty-first
Congress resembles the field where a
drawn battle has been fought; on
which neither OF the contending
armies had gained any solid advan-
tage; and where the only fruits of
strife are the corpses with which the
ground is strewn. Not only Cana
dian reciprocity was lost; the provis-
ion for a permanent Tariff Board
came to naught; Congressional reap
pOrtionment fell by the wayside; the
ship subsidy favored by the President
was lost in the scutfie; the Sulloway
pension act was stabbed under the
fifth rib; the resolution providing for
direct election OF Senator'S went the
way 30 all flesh; neither Arizona nor
New Mexico was admitted to State
hood; the report whitewashing Bal
llnger was not acted on, though q
cabinet officer under charges must be
thorn in the side of his Chief. In
fact, outside of the regular appro.