Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-23
FIRST TARIFF
SPEECH OF TRIP
PRESIDENT ATTACKS PLAN OF
REVISING SCHEDULE WITH
BLACKSMITH TOOLS"
MUST WAIT ON BOARD 30
IN Effect He Charges Bad Faitn On
Part Of Insurgents Ia Demanding
Tariff Board and Then NOT
Waiting For Report.

Grand Rapids, Mich, Sept. FL
president Taft made his first speech
of his western trip on the tarl1l anu
his yetoes OF the wool, cotton anu
farmers free list bills here today.
The president attacked the demo.
Gratis and insurgent republicans IN the
senate and house who put those dis
through congress at the special SEES
sion. defended his own course ~
ye.oipg them, end declared that ne
waa utterly opposed to revision OF tne
tariff except upon information secured
nv the tariff board He clearly dellne BY
his own position with regard TO tarli :.
revision and made it plain that even II
no,itical defeat stared him In the race
he would not alter his policy. me
Investment predicted that revising the
tarife With blacksmith tools" such as
no said the coalition of democrats anu
insurgents used will lead ineyitapiy
10 a reyulsion Of feeling ana recur,
renee 81 the higher rates and the 'olo
system OF high tariff =, ,,a
.fThis.' said the president, L Woulo
deprecate and SO far as ! ian WIN WIZ
fha nowers given me by the constltu-
tim I propose to stop such move
mani and to secure reduction IN &C
cnrdance with the principles OF the
renublican platform and on informa-
tinn accurate and impartial. II that
nolicy ia not approved by the elect0r'
ataa then of course. those OF us VINO
are now In office must give way 70
men who will carry out aiIiefen.
nolicy. But while we are In of1lce our
nos;tinn Ought clearly to be under
stood We follow this policy not only
because we are pledged to It, put pc
cause we believe it right, because we
believe that full discussion and
close perception on the part OF the
neople will convince them intimately
they should approve and adopt It.
quotes Tariff Board Pianks.
president Taft quoted from the plat
sorms az the republican party In Ohio,
New York. wisconsin, Iowa and Kan
sas to show that his party In those
states had adopted the idea OF per
manent body which should make q
scientific investigation OF the tariff
and upon whose researches ana data
future revisions should be based.
In effect he charged the insurgents
with bad faith in having advocated the
creation Of the tariff board and tnen
with not wishing to wait for lis re-
port. In speaking of his efforts lot
sueh a board the president said:
.3a"I have had in the past the hearty
support not only of the regular repup-
iicans but also, and even with more
emphasis. those who call themselves
progressive republicans"
President Taft's Speech.
President Taft's speech in full fol-
lows:
NV Fellow Citizens: am going to
tell you In az simple way as l can,
why vetoed the three tariff bills
which congress submitted to me for
signature at the close of this extra SEES
zion. l called the session to secure the
enactment in law of the Canadian
reciprocity treaty. This was done on
July %. Thereafter, the wool bill. the
free-list bill, and cotton bill were pre-
scented to me for signature, and re-
turned them, without my approval,
and explained my reasons Tor 50 DO
ing in a special message on each bill.
What I say here will be In
large part resume OF those
messages, with some additional
suggestions that the less formal
character of this address per-
mits. am not going to discuss the
PAYNE bill, except to say that the con-
troversy over it's merits and dement's
developed very strong sentiment
among republicans. and. indeed
among many democrats. that bureau
or commission or board Of competent
persons should be constituted to make
Investigation into the facts concern
inr the dutiable articles in the tariff,
and to report them in such way that
congress and the public might be re.
liabIy advised of the probable effect
~ any proposed revision Of the tariff
in the future.
Tariff Board In Consumers Interest.
It was properly felt that even When
full opportunity for hearings were
given as they had been by the commit.
tees Of the house and the senate. IN
the case Of the Payne bill, the advo.
Gates OF the protected interests would
have the advantage over the consum-
Ing public, who would not organize to
secure and present the evidence IN
their behalf for lower duties needed
to secure just Judgment. The Payne
bill offered an opportunity to me to
appoint a board Of competent persons
TO ASSIST me In the ADMINISTRATION VI
the revenue laws and especially of the
maximum and minimum clause Of that
act; and the revenue laws were Of suf-
ficient latitude to enable me to direct
this board to make GLOSSARY" of the
tariff terms and a kind Of encyclo-
pedia which would furnish guide
to the understanding Of the tariff. and
also to proceed to determine the com
parative difference between the cost
of production OF dutiable articles I'M
der the various tariff schedules in this
country and abroad.
At the extra session of 1909, con-
gress had given me $4,000 which
could spend for this purpose; at the
regular session of the same congress,
the sixty-first, the appropriation was
enlarged to $3.50. 900, to cover expenses