The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-09-30
GIVE TAFT CHANCE,
SAYS KANSAS CITY
People in Heart of Insurgent Regions Reserve Judgment
of President Until He Has More Time to Garry
Out His Policies.

policy" said an Iowa delegate. Most
of the talking he does on conservation
consists of explanations of scandals in
the administration or the public do
main"
1.-The President discussed conservation
at the congress last year," was the re-
tort of a Colorado man
In attempting to learn the impression
which Mr.. Taft left behind him here,
the Tribune correspondent went first
TO the Kansas City board of trade.
For half an hour he stood beside the
grain pit on the trading floor and talked
with one after another OF the men who
rule the market in this part Of the
country.
Taft killed himself politically with
reciprocity" said the first man to whom
the correspondent was introduced. He
was the head Of a big grain commits
sion house. The formers CT the South
west lost confidence in him." he added,
for they believed reciprocity would
lower the price of wheat"
An the grain interests are against
TAFT" said another. He has wasted
most of his admiration on this rect
procity business. 1t would have ruined
him 4 it had gone through and it will
ruin him now It has failed"
well / Vas just as much against
reciprocity as any one" SAID a third
broker. but I believe 1t will all be for
gotten inside of a year. This IS pretty
early to pass Judgment on the Presi-
dent"
81 thought he received an enthusiastic
reception said another. Il think he
Ought to have signed the wool bill, but
ter"
BOARD of trade men were pretty hot
about reciprocity" said the gray haired
head of a Zig grain firm. but they'll
he in line for Taft next year all right.
he is generally favored by business
men,"
7, c,,,;,oo,, prasJdant of tbo ITir,I
National Bank, said he had been a great
admirer of Mr.. Taft for fifteen years
He is a great man. ne said, and
deserves reelection. There Is a good
deal of insurgency here, however, and
there are forces al work stirring up
anti-Taft sentiment. Many Republicans
In the city believe the President ought
to have signed the wool bill. The bust
ness men here undoubtedly favor Taft
and Champ Clark, as both are regarded
worse than Bryan. because he is smart
err"
Foe Of Trust Agitation.
J. Fennell. manager of large depart
ment store, Is a Democrat, but voted for
Taft In 1908. 81 would not vote for him
again." he said. Times are hard and
getting harder. Capital is refusing to
make extensions. It's all because Of
this trust agitation. Look at the way
Wickersham is going after them. Why.
Roosevelt never did anything like it.
Either Wilson or Harmon is my choice
for the next President"
The manager of one OF the biggest dry
goods stores had this TO say:
Taft is doing the best he can.
comedies he is honest. But
the trouble is he tries to please too
many people. Roosevelt never tried to
please anybody but himself, and that IS
the kind of a man we like out here.
He committed the biggest mistake of
his administration at the start by sign
ing the Payne-Aldrich bill, just TO
please some Senators who are notorious
in their relations with the trusts
Every utteranCe Taft makes shows his
belief that he should have vetoed the
Payne bill. l do not believe he can re-
cover from that first mistake and II
looks like n Democrat for the next
President, probably Wilson. In a Re-
publican, but I would vote for him.
He's independent like Roosevelt"
The president of a big bank said he
and his fellow business men would |
support taft for reelection, but that
on account of hard times and public !
unrest he feared a Democrat would be |
elected.