The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-24
THE COTTON BILL VETO.

President Taft S veto on the bill re.
vising the tariff schedule on cotton,
and on iron and steel and chemicals,
shows signs of impntieuce, if not, in.
deed, of petulance. He arraigns both
houses of Congress for sending TO him
a bill passed NOT only without due
knowledge and care, but. as he says,
practically without any consideration at
all OF either schedule by any commit
very severe arraignment of Con-
gresslonal methods, and of both houses
of Congress. For If those branches Of
Congress do, in fact, pass important
measures like this with practically no
consideration by any committee of
either House, and, in fact, in either
House. then our National provision for
legislation is a scandalous failure. The
President says; "Tbere were no facts
presented TO either House in which I
can find material on which to form any
Judgment as to the effect of the amend.
ments, either on American industries.
or upon the revenues Of the Govern
ment. Here again is a severe ar
raignment of Congress for taking ac-
tion without knowledge and without
reason.
After review of the proceedings in
Congress, whereby the iron and steel
and chemical schedules were sought TO
DE amended and added to the cotton
hI ha
make myself a party to dealing with
the industries of the country in this
way We should think not, indeed ;
the industries affected are very great.
In general way it is known that
the cotton schedules are enormously
padded by way of customs duties, ap-
parently for the sole reason of fayorinp
the New England cotton mills. 1t is
known also. from the testimony of the
best experts, that steel needs no pro
lection in this country. And yet, as
President Taft insists, the reasons for
changes in the cotton tariff. in the
steel tariff, and in the chemical tariff,
should be disclosed somewhere, either
in committee report or in debate,
Nothing of this kind was done, it ap.
pears, and the President is left with
out any guidance whatever to form his
Judgment upon, or to ascertain upon
what basis Congress took action.
The true meaning of all this, of
course, is, that the President was dis.
gusted at Congress putting up to him
again another tariff bill when he had
already made it clear by his veto Of
the wool bill and the free list bill that
he was determined to await the report
of the Tariff Board on the various
schedules before approving any tar
iff legislation. The fact that his cen.
sure of Congressional methods took Sc
vercr form in the third veto than in
the first and second. was only to be
expected Congress could hardly have
supposed that the President would take
kindly TO the putting up to him of an
other tariff bill, which was certainly
quite as Objectionable as the ones he
had just vetoed, and on exactly the
same grounds. His irritation at being
thus badgered was plainly to be seen
In his message vetoing the cotton and
steel bill. That the President was
harsh and in disciplinary mood when
he wrote this third veto can hardly be
questioned; and that he feels kindly
towards the body of the Republican
Senators who deserted the Senate hall
and allowed the Democrats to pass this
cotton and steel bin, could hardly be
supposed. In this final veto President
TART showed himself to be very human
indeed, and his castigating hand is
heavy. The case is much as though A
son, being refused permission to 90 fish.
ing. should keep on asking until the
father. in desperation, grabs switch
ana applies 1t where it will do the
most good