The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-01

SHOULD HAVE STUCK OUT -
CHEAPER PAPER, hut DAD Al
BOY LA TOILETTE PEN
sUADED HIM.

Ill MS review OIL. MS WoTk AS IHSDsE-15
dent, Mr. Taft admits there are some
things which, If he had to do over
again, he might do differently, buts
simply To make his position clearer ~
the public and with the same mos
tiyes which have educated him ana
with the anne objects in view. HWS
tells at length of the opposition heH
has met as President in his efforts ~
carry out platform pledges and admiii-a
istration 'olicies- This oppositfons
came chiefly from members of his own
party in Congress.
The Interview. y
NEW YORK. Nov. 3o.--Speaking OF
the tariff issue, the President. when
asked If he would repeat his Winona
speech were his administration again
beginning. replied: M
I'm phraseology, no; in effect. yes
Had l known as much then as DO
now, should have realized that there-
are some, things one cannot leave To-;
be taken for granted.
IF l had prepared it two or three
weeks before and revised 1t deliberate-sa
~. as I ought to have done, l would
have clarified several passages. And
particularly. | should have changed the
sentence where l proclaim the Paynas
tariff act the best ever passed. The
NCilPAa atAfO "oai0 AfhtS ptCik uOSt0Ass
description than the superlative, for,
whatever its shortcomings. the act still
contains less to be criticised than ttn
predecessors and 1t did, as whole
revise the existing schedules dowU-ss
ward.
Wool Needs Trimming.
Supposing your tariff board should
bring in report hostile to any change
in the wool schedule, would you be-
Yavprna6 hv hat ~. -
less of the position you took on the
pop-gun wool and wooden biH~'
The contingency is remote. think
that even the inner circle OF protcC-
uonists concede that the wool and
WOODEN tariff needs trimming down.
the only question being as to the
amount and method. had no fault
TO ma with either Democrats or in@s
surgents for trying to reduce any dti-
ties they chooses what / object 10 H.
disturbing the business of the cpun-
try today. when there is nothing bet
ter than guess work to proceed upon
and then disturbing 1t afresh six
months later when the best available
information Is before US.
In spite Of such handicaps, did
secure tariff reductions on q number
OF items, including several raw mas
terials.
Il realize now. though that madn
one mistake. ought to have made
as strong point on paper as aid
on hides. Chairman Payne in the
House did not like to 60 down to =
" duty on paper, but he voted for
1t rather than cause a split. Mr..
La Toilette l consulted as to thni
amount Of duty needed on paper and
he thought 81 was too low for inns
mediate application and wanted ~
sliding scale OF duties from q highaF
rate. As it was We compromised on
1915. III
But could not get free lumbep.
either. The only way l procured any
substantial reduction from $3.50 WanI
by sending the conference commits
tee an intimation that I should vetuf;
the bin II It carried a lumber duty
higher than $l.25. ~
Some of my critics will ask: II
you could do 10 much in thes4 r.
stances by swinging your veto club
why did you not use the same weapo0s
all along the line% 1t Is an eanuks
thing to take q stand on q moral -
sue between the right and the wrOuwa
or on one of plain common sense ukAs
the question OF the recall OF tn
judiciary; but with fifteen crowded.
tariff schedules to overhaul at DhOeE1
notice. President can hardly be ex~y
pected to make a radical fight ovuEN
each detail that strikes him A. un~s
wise; and it would be the height a.
folly for him to veto an entire bin
because a few items In it do not apA
peal to his individual Judgment.