The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-01-20
sMooT VS.. THE PRESIDENT.

Senator Cummins of Iowa appears TO
have had decidedly the better Of the
little tilt which he had with APOSTLE
Smoot in the Senate on Wednesday.
Smoot gave notice of his intention TO
speak on the "absurdity of tariff re
vision schedule by schedule; - TO which
the Senator from Iowa responded that
he did not consider this respectful
language with which to characterize
so solemn a subject And he might
have added that the real absurdity was
for Smoot to make any such claim of
a absurdity.
We suppose that 1t will be conceded
by Republicans generally that Presi-
dent Taft is likely to know quite as
much about the tariff, about protec,
tion. about the different schedules that
make up the tariff law, and all that
relates to tariff legislation, as Smoot
can possibly know. And il would be
n singular thing, indeed, if Smoot could
find any actual basis for stigmatizing
any proposal of President Taft I'm this
respect as absurd. For President Taft
rs well-grounded in Republican prin.
ciples. especially in protection; he is
an able jurist, competent TO construe
the law. and accustomed TO do so;
whereas, Smoot is utterly lacking in all
these points. And so, when President
Taft declares that revision schedule by
schedule is the way to treat the tariff
law. IT is nonsense for Smoot TO claim
ability to show absurdity in President
Taft S proposition.
In his annual message of December
TO Congress President Taft, in treating
Of the means whereby evils in the tar.
lf law should be corrected. expressly
discouDtenaDced the idea Of complete
or general revision; he stated that
complete revision of the law would be
unwise, and advocated precisely what
Smoot declares to bc absurd; that is,
revision schedule by schedule. Here
is what the President said about it:
The halt In business and the shock TO
a new tariff bill Is to be prepared and
put I'm operation. will be avoided by
treating the schedules one by ore as oc-
casion shall arise for a change in the
rates of each. and only after a report
upon the schedule by the tarlm board
competent 10 make such report IL is
not likely that the hoard VIII be able
to make report during the present
session OF Congress on any OF the schcd
nlss, because proper examination In
VolVes an enormous amount Of detail and
a great deal OF care: but ] nope to be
able at the opening OF the new Congress.
or at least during the session OF that
congress, to bring to its attention the
facts in regard 10 those schedules in the
present tarin TINT may prove 10 need
amendment. The carrying out OF this
plan. OF course. involves the full Coop
Grafton OF Congress in limiting the con-
siderhiion in tariff matters to one
schedule AT u time. because If a pro-
posed amendment TO q tariff bill Is to
involve complete consideration of all
me scnedules and another revision. then
we shall only repeat the evil from which
the business OF this country has In times
past suffered most gricvously by stagna- :
tlon and uncertainty. pending 81 rescttlc- :
rectly or Indirectly. ! can not too much
cmphasize the Importance and benefit OF
tue plan above proposed for the lreH, l.
menl OF the tariff. II facilitates the re-
Inoval or noteworthy defects I'm an Inn
portant law without a disturbance OF
business prosperity. which Is even more
important to the happiness and The COM
Tort Of the people than the eIlnInati ton
of Instances OF Injustice in the tariff
In view Of this express declaration
by the President, the speech of Apostle
Smoot declaring the President IS views
to be absurd will not be awaited with
oyerpowerlng interest. President Taft
not only advocates as distinctly desir.
able the very thing pronounced by
Smoot to be absurd, but gives straight
forward, sensible reasons for the form