The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-12-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

Reporter.)
Washington, Dec. 23.-An i'm
portant point in connection with the
presidents message on the wooden
schedule has escaped attention.
1t is this: Mr.. Taft is giving the
people a discourse on wool instead of
cheaper wools Whether the Presi-
dents message, which doesn't tell con-
gress any more about the difference
| in the cost of production at home
and abroad than it knew before, will
be accepted by the country as sat
| isfactory substitute for cheaper and
| better clothing, which he promised
in his prediction speeches, and was
| in a position to give but fatty re-
| fused by vetoing the Underwood-La-
Toilette wool bill, remains to be
seen.
Here are some facts which will
aid the reader to reach a conclusion
as to whether the president is now,
ever was or ever will be in good faith
with the public when it comes to in
terfering with the profits the tariff
trusts which make big campaign con-
tributions to the republican party.
When the Payne-Aldrich bill was
passed Mr.. Taft said the wooden
schedule of that measure was "inde-
fensible," and that he would like to
see it revised and revised downward.
At the extra session of congress dem
ocrats and progressive republicans
passed bill reducing the abnormal
ly high tax on woolens in sincere
and patriotic attempt to tighten the
burden of taxation to the users of
woolens. Had the president signed
this bill it would have meant re-
duction this winter in the price of
wooden clothing of all sorts for men,
women and children; also in the
prices of blankets and other forms of
wooden manufactures needed for
warmth by the general public.
But the president vetoed this bill
affording the very kind of relief he
declared to be in sympathy with,
forcing the American people to con-
tinue to pay subsidy in artificial
prices to the wool industry of ap-
proximately $1OO,OO0,O0O a year.
Il must veto this BILL" declared
the president, but after the tariff
board reveals the difference in the
cost of production at home and
abroad l will favor downward re-
vision of the wool schedule"
This report is now in, has been
read and analysed, and found to con-
tain practically nothing more on the
subject of difference in the cost of
production at home and abroad than
the democratic Ways and Means
Committee was in possession Of when
it framed the Underwood bill.
q 70
The people asked for cheaper and
better clothing, and all they get, so
far as Mr.. Taft is concerned, is a
nicely worded but useless message;
words as substitute for relief from
the extortionate prices exacted by
the tariff trusts.
Getting First Hand Facts.
Sixty of the democratic mem1eiA
Of the house of representatives are
utilizing the holiday recess to make
a first hand study of conditions in
the Panama canal zone. 1nasmuch
as the canal is eating up government
money at the rate of several thous-
ands of dollars day the democrats
hold that it is their duty to see, per-
sonally, that this money is being
wisely spent. The question of forti-
flying the canal will come up soon,
and as this will mean a large addi-
tional expenditure, the democrats
propose to know just why and where
this money is to be expended. Hence
they are taking advantage of the
temporary letup in affairs in Wash
ington to investigate.
Speaker Clark has advised all the
democrats to visit the canal zone at
some time, and practically all of
them propose to follow this advice.
This is in line with the announced
democratic program to get to the
bottom of every proposition which
calls for an expenditure of govern
ment money.
Why Teddy Was Boomed.
The Roosevelt denomination talk,
which was more pronounced during
the recent meeting of the republican
national committee than at any time
since the former presidents return
from Africa, has died down again.
And now comes the report that this
talk was started by the old guard
leaders among the committeeman
for the purpose of frightening Mr..
Taft into allowing them to have con-
republican convention in Chicago.
This control means a big advantage
to those who possess it, for with it
goes the authority to dictate seating
arrangements, admissions, distribu-
ton of patronage and committee as
signments; in short, it means control
of the convention right up to the
time of balloting.
The Roosevelt talk, according to
the best information, did not spring
from the friends of the former pres
ident, but from his enemies. The
plan was, by starting this talk, to
discomfort and divide the insurgents.
Then, with Mr.. Taft deserted by all
except the southern postmaster dele
gates, a deadlock could be forced,
which could be broken at the proper
time in favor of a compromise can
didate acceptable to the old guard
leaders.
AS result of these Vaccinations
it has been stated, apparently with
some show of authority, that Mr..
Taft ia so disgusted with conditions