The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-11

strain as do many Other eminent Re
pubiIca ns-au Of whr.E tends tn -llui
tratr the peculiar brand Of harmony
in twain.
The Ninona specs II.
In his celebrated speech AZ Vino
nj M-En-, in the fall of lsO9, President
Taft pronounced the Payne-Aldrich-
Smoot bill to be the best tariff. bill
ever placed upon the statute books.
As a matter of fact it was the worst;
but in that speech he declared that the
tariff rates of the wool and wooden
schedule of the Payne-Aldrich-Smoot
bill are too high and should be cut
down. On that proposition Demo Gratis
are in accord with him. Consequent
~ the first schedule We revised down
ward was the wool and wooden sched-
ule, and / am violating no confidence
in stating that one reason why we re-
vised that schedule first was that by
reason of the presidents declaration
touching it in his WinOna speech we
believed he would sign our bill and
submit to a candid world that we have
good grounds for that belief. The
house passed it by vote of more than
two to one, some 80 patriotic Repub-
Hcans voting with US. 1t passed the
senate with amendments, which it
of several Republican votes It then
went to conference An agreement
was had between the two houses and
the bill was sent to the president, who
promptly vetoed it on the himsy pre-
texts that his tariff board had not made
any recommendation on that subject
and that our bill was hurriedly pre-
pared. So far as anybody knows the
tariff board has no information to i'm
part and instead of the bill being hur-
riedly prepared, it was most carefully
prepared. Ten times as much time
was spent on it as was expended on
any one schedule in the Payne bill.
What is more, when it was brought
into the house every section, para
graph, line, word and figure was
thrown open to both amendment and
debate, which was never the cas- when
the standpatters were passing tariff
bills OF course it was not perfect. No
work Of human minds and hands is
perfect; but it was vast improvem ent
on the wool and wooden schedule in
the Payne-AIdrich-S moot bill and
would have given the people a large
measure of relief in cheaper and
warmer clothes and blankets, but not
withstanding his declaration at Vino I
ma that the rates in that schedule are |
too high and ought to be reduced, the |
president vetoed our bill which did the |
very thing which he had said should |
be done. What caused the wondrous !
change DER the spirit of his dream 1
shall not undertake to say.
Some very good folks think that /
the bill did not go far enough, but it /
went as far in the way of downward |
revision as we thought we could go t
and pass it through both house and
senate and have it signed. by the
president so as to secure for the peo-
pie as much relief from tax burdens +
as possible.
"A man crossing Boston Common
found boy digging hole in the
ground The man asked: Why dig
gest thou? The urchin replied: L
am seeking the unattainable' We
were seeking a practical benefit for
The people which we deemed attain
able. We might have made a band
stand play and passed a bill through !
the house which we knew had no
earthly chance of passing the senate
Ind Of being signed by the president;
out we honestly and courageously
chose the better part and earnestly
sought to better the condition of the
people. The president however.
would have none of it. BY reason of
ais action and his action alone mill
ions Of men. women and children
must shiver with cold by reason of in
sufficient wooden clothing and blan-
zet5 through at least one more win
er and all the rest of the American
people will be compelled to pay prices
high for their wooden
.lothes.
IF the people like that sort of thing
hey will support the president. If
hey do not like it they will support
Farmers Free List Bill.
He also vetoed our farmers free
ist bill and the cotton bill, including ]
he chemical and iron and steel sched- {
lies. all of which would have been y
blessings to the consumers of the land | I
His action makes it clear as the | I
I'm shining at midday in a cloud
10 relief from tariff extortions at the :
lands of the Republican party, but
must look to us for relief from the {
1onstrOus load which they are now /
ARRIVING, for it should not be forgot
en- that the standpatters are in the
majority in the Republican party.
THE language of the presidents veto {
messages raises a very grave question. {
lie seems to think that congress should {
OF consider or pass any tariff bills ex- s
ept such as he recommends. which is I
eversing the nodus operandI Of max {
ne tariff bills provided by the fathers
f the republic
They wrote it into the constitution ,
hat: l. Revenue bills must originate :
I the house of representatives and in r
he house of representatives, alone, on {
he theory that the representatives are c
resh from the people. 2. The senate y
lay amend the house tariff bills. s. The -
resident MAY sign or veto tariff bills
Ist as he may sign or veto any other
ills; bat the assumption that congress
hall neither consider nor pass a tariff =
i'll until recommended by the presi- :
ent is not only absurd but is revolu- +
onary, utterly subvertiVe of our the b
~ of legislation and if submitted to o
i'll be only another long step in the il
recess of usurpation which in late v
ears has 50 greatly increased the ex-
sutive at the expense of the Iegisla- Il
We branch of government.
IF congress cannot pass tariff bills =
Scept when recommended by the pres =.
lent, what sense is there in congress q
pending the time and money to con +
der ana pass tariff bills at all and il
by not have the president formulate S
I'D proclaim tariff bills as the Roman b
nperors formulate and proclaimed u