The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1911-09-05
Washington News
Items Of Interest From Our Ger
respondent, George w.
Summers.

the tariff the issue before Tie
peopl af the country, the West
Virginia Senators and the four
Democratic Congressman from
that State have gone to their
homes entirely willing to leave 10
the people of their State or dis
tricts the question of approving
their course in the extra session
of Congress but recently closed.
What was done by the Demo-
Gratis at the session just ended
and what was done by the Re-
publican "Stand-Patters" and
the Republican "Stand-Pat"
President is we'll known. In
strict fulfillment of the Demo-
cratic campaign pledges to re-
duce the tariff in the interest of
the people and not to maintain or
Increase it in the interest of the
trusts, the Democrats passed
through the House tariff bills re-
ducing the duties on practically
all the necessities of life. These
bills were passed through the
Senate with the aid of prog
ressive" Republicans, and would
have become law had it not been
for the veto of the President,
who could not stand it to see the
protection removed from the
trusts which have been getting
enormously rich off the people
and the ordinary living expenses
of the people reduced.
Yet this was the same Presi-
dent. who as a candidate for the
Presidency in 1908 interpreted
the Republican national platform
as promise to revise the tariff
downward and pledge himself
and his party to an immediate
downward revision of the tariff
if he were elected. Mr.. Taft
was elected and the Republicans
had control Of both Houses of
Congress. But they refused to
reduce the tariff and instead in
creased it and the President APP
proved the bill. SO much for
Republican promises on the tar
iff.
Having tried to obtain relief
from exorbitant tariff duties
through the Republican party
and failed, the people then tried
the Democratic party and elected
a House of Representatives with
a Democratic majority. This
House. within a little over four
months after being called into
extra session, had passed bills
reducing the tariff on nearly all
the articles Of necessity, and had
bills almost ready TO report re-
ducing the duties on still other
articles. With the assistance
Of the Progressive" Republi-
cans in the Senate these bills
had all passed both houses of
Congress and the Democrats
were ready with others when
the Presidents vetoes of every
measure intended to reduce the
cost of living and make the prof.
its of the trusts less began to
pour in. 1t was found that it
was useless to try to reduce the
tariff with President Taft in the
White House, and the Democrats
having shown their good inten-
tons and having forced Presi-
dent Taft and his party to go on
record as to tariff reduction,
agreed to adjournment.
In the matter of tariff reduc-
ton the West Virginia Senators
and Democratic members of
Congress played an important
part, and their identifcations
with the work of the Democrats
in Congress in the interest of
tariff reduction can not be over
looked, In the House, whore all
tariff bills originate, every Dem
ocratic member from West Vir-
ginia-Davis, Brown. Littlepage
and Hamilton voted every time
q vote was cast, in favor Of tariff
reduction. unless he happened to
be paired with some Republican
who would have voted against it
had he been present. The re-
cords Of the Congres5me are
clear. Every Democrat from
tNaaf Wfwnfs,s. st-.I r. .... ~ -.