The Washington times., 1911-09-25
MICHIGAN MEN
WAIT FOR TAFT
TO MAKE GOOD"
Suspend Final Judgment on
Choosing Him for
President Again.
MUST SUCCEED IN
LOWERING TARIFF
Essential to Success at Polls, Say
Voters Seen by Chicago Tri-
bune Correspondent.
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Continued from First Page.)
removed from the path of the Presi-
dent. and regards the outcome Of the
Canadian election as politically provi-
Dental so far as the fortunes OF Mr.
Taft are concerned.
LAS a Senator of the United States"
said Mr.. Smith, Il have never felt call
ed upon to meddle in the political af-
airs of other countries. The electorate
of Canada has spoken in un uncertain
way upon the question of commercial
reciprocity with the United States and
its verdict against this policy will prob
ably never be reopened by the present
generation.
Il am not surprised at the result.
Every one who has watched the con-
test closely must have seen that only
were particularly interested in this ar
rangement, in fact, they were the d.
rect benficiaries, and the vote in Sas-
katchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba, sus-
tanning the IIaurier government, indi-
Gates the sympathy of the farmers of
those agricultural provinces in his at
tempt to give them larger markets,
while the business men of Canada in
all walks of life, have generally been
opposed to the arrangement.
Smith Acts As Taft Host.
In spite Of his ardent opposition to
reciprocity Senator Smith proved a most
enthusiastic host to the President. ac-
cording to all accounts. But in this he
differed in no way from the rest of his
fellow-townsmen who express a per-
sonal liking for Mr.. Taft while con-
demning some of his official policies 1t
was the first time that Grand Rapids
ever had entertained a President of the
Republic, and in spite of the rain II
put In a pretty enjoyable half day get
ting acquainted with the CHIEF Magis-
trate.
A man in a blue and white jumper
who was washing a show window of the
Herpolsheimer department store was
the first man interviewed by the Tri-
bune correspondent
Il see Taft didn't say anything about
giving Alaska to the Guggenheims. he
said. He told how 1t was he vetoed
the wool bill 1 guess he was afraIi
La Toilette would get all the credit IL
they cut down the cost of clothes. Then
TAFT hired the best lawyers In the coun-
try to defend Ballinger, put, after all.
Baliinger had to get out. l tell you 1t
don't look right
Are you a Republican or a Demo-
crat?' the window washer was asked.
Neither. II vote for the best man."
he replied. Just now like the looks
Of La Toilette. If Taft is the man a
Democrat WILL get in easy"
Cigar Man a Defender.
A little farther along, at Canal and
Pearl streets, is a cigar store largely
freQuented by employees Of the neigh
boring furniture houses
Il hear lot of political talk in here"
said the man behind the cigar case.
Most Of the travelling men who come
In here say Taft can't come back-all
en- account OF the tariff and reciprocity.
They all say he's honest. though. Fact
Is. l guess, he's about as good as any
other President. You can't suit every
body, you know, any more than l can
satisfy everybody that comes in here
Cor a cigar. I've pretty nearly gone
crazy trying to do that"
In kingmans sample store an I'M
mense establishment crammed with
countless varieties of Grand Rapids
staple product, group Of statesmen
awaited the opening of the days busi-
ness. One of them, the chief, is a |
graduate of Notre Dame University.
NO one would have known the Presi- |
dent was here" said this man. The |
procession passed down the streets with |
only a cheer now and then. People |
don't get excited over Taft, But I think |
he's making a good President, and he
gets my vote"
Taft is good man and honest" was
the opinion expressed by an elevator |
operator in neighboring office build !
Ing. But l guess he is too much IN |
1uenced by men who amt in business |
for love"
Fireman Also Champions Him.
A lieutenant of the Grand Rapids fire |
department paused in his inspection |
of a building long enough to tell the |
Tribune reporter this:
There are a lot of folks here who |
blame Taft for the increased cost OF |
living. Why, a neighbor of mine was |
blaming the President only this morn |
ing because sugar has gone up to 8
cents a pound. He thought 1t was be-
cause Taft prosecuted the sugar trust. |
He would have been blamed just the |
same If he hadn't. The President made
O good talk here and think most peo-
pie who heard him or read his speech
want 10 see him have a fair chance to
get the tariff reduced next winter II
before election"
Grand Rapids recently was in the
throes of a strike Of the furniture work.
ers, who wanted 10 per cent. higher pay
and a 10 per cent. shorter day. They
stayed out four months and then were
forced to surrender and go back to
work on the old terms. The men ar
gued that the furniture manufacturers
were reaping huge profits from the
operation of the high tariff on furn1
ture and demanded their share of the
protection The employers contended
that they were paying the highest
wages in that business in the country.
The Tribune representative found a
group Of the employees of the Berkey &
GAY factory lounging along the power
canal during the lunch hour.
Taft amt done anything for the
working man." said one of these. The
argument that we get our share of The
tariff is all bunk. Compared with what
the manufacturer gets, it is no share
at all. At the same time it's getting
so II costs too much to draw your
breath"
We'll. give Taft a show" said an
other. THE election is long way on.
Lots of things may happen in year
and he may turn out all right"
Big Business Man Favors Him.
Over at the Berkey & Gay office one
Of the officials of the company said:
''Tfat is satisfactory to the business
men of this section. Business is suf-
fering from too much trust and tariff
agitation. But the trust agitation is
the heritage of Roosevelt and the tar
IN agitation is stirred up largely by
Congress. Taft is all right and de-
serves reelection"
Rapi6s. This territory is within the
Federal judicial circuit on which he
served and he often held court here. |
lie knows scores of the towns resi-
tents intimately and draws upon
5rand Rapids about as often as upon
Chicago for men to fill high Govern
~ I'D L.