The Sentinel=record., 1911-09-23
TAFT SPEAKS
 AT PEORIA
HOLDS clcaE CONF ERENcE |, WITH REPUBLICAN POLL
 TlClANS OF ILLINOIS
Voices Regret at Failure of Canada to Ratify Reciprocity Agree
 ment-Outlines His Fu- ture Policy.

Peoria, Ill.,, President Tatt had a heart to heart talk here today with the leaders of the different repubn- can factions in Illinois, defined hls status as to progressiyeness, pleaded lguilty to being very poor pon- Itician, acknowledged against his am bition had lain in the direction ot lthe office of chief justice rather than Ithe presidency, admitted ne uaG UT doubtedly made many mistakes but asserted as president, he had tried Ito do what he thought to be right. What the future held for him ne oia Inot know; he would go ahead dong the best he could.
 Mir. Taft declared he was not al- lied with the extremists Of his party, either conservatives or progresslyes, but had tried to make middle ground between the two.
 But we middle of the road peo- Iple believe we are the real prog ressiyes," said the president, De cause you don't make progress in Igreat strides, you make it step by Istep."
 The president was in a serious mood He dec ared that while II Imight not be so for time, the peo- lple in the end would distinguish f'between fact and fustian,' anu. would recognize the difference be- lsubstance in progress and platform declarations wgltten For campaign purposes only.
 The speech made by the presi- dent was the most significant am Interesting of his trip thus far. lie still was downcast by frhe defeat or the reciprocity agreement in Canada, but his only reference to shat sub iect had come earlier in the day when he addressed Hhe workingmen lin local manufacturing establish Iment where farming imp ements are made.
 "I was sorry to hear that in can ada they don't care to have closer commercial relations with us, ne said. If reciprocity had been adopt ed, we could have got our agrlcul- tural implements into Canada at a substantial decrease. But 1 guess we can get along.'
 The presidents political speech followed a luncheon given in hls hon. Tor by the republican state central committee. attended by the party Headers from all over the state, ln- cluding senator Shelby M. Calom land Lieutenant Governor DglesDy IGoyernor Deneen could not De pres lent because of his broken leg. The I.orlmer faction was not represent ed.
 After a more or iess intimate talk of his association with the chief ex- ecutive by Senator Cullom wmcn preceded che presidents speech, MT. Taft sketched his earlierl pontica career which had for it's goal seat on the supreme bench. Hgweven, he had not run away from the pres idency, his connection with which he is about to explain.
 Coming down to his recent vetoes Iof important bills. he said he would have vetoed those bills under any conditions even if 1t would have cost me my life. say that with all ahe earnestness possible, be- cause what I did was the result ol a conviction as deep seated as any principle | ever had.
 Mentioning specifically the veto o the Arizona statehood bill, the pres ident said q just vetoed that be eanse couldn't do anything else.
 Referring to the split in the re. pubEean party, Mp. Taft Haad he was endeayoring to "go aiong in tls middle of those 5wo"-.progressIves and reactionaries- in line with this idea the railroads had been brought under a condition of regulation "thai Ihas satisfied them. The country ls bound to have their business dls- charged according to law; the trusts lare in period of transition, but the supreme court has decided whac tho flaw is, and now business has gor te square itself with that law. Me might as well make up our m.nds to that gentlemen.'
 'My friends, didn't expect te make political speech this alter