The Washington times., 1911-09-27
TAFT SEEMS TO
GAIN STRENGTH
-,
IN ST. LOUIS
City Always Noted for Its
Stand-Pat Qualities,
lis Likes President.
Continued from First Page.)

next day, the President was still a
theme Of discussion among the fans.
The Tribune correspondent mingled
with the crowd at the bah park aud
ions of the President The first i'm
preston from such an effort is that
Democrats are more plentiful in st.
Louis than in Chicago, for example.
said invariably Taft is a dead one
politically or words to that effect, and
a final casting up of the account
showed that about half the fans ap-
preached were, of the Jeffersonian per-
suasion. 1t therefore remains to ex-
anime the statements made by Repub-
licans.
Taft made a hit," said a man who
Is the proprietor of cleaning and dye
ing establishment in the business sec
ton. st. Louis always turns out pretty
well for him. / do not hear much op-
position to him. and do not think folks
here are much excited about the tariff" q"
Sees Change In Opinion Soon.
A grocer in an outlying quarter of
the city said: There's an awful holler
out my way about high prices and the
Republican party is being blamed by
most of my customers. Taft, of course,
will not profit any from that even If
he Is not responsible
There certainly is lots Of dlssatisfac-
ton among the workingmen," said
hardware dealer, who was comparing
a box score with salesman in a down.
town dry goods store. Il know from
the way my employees talk that Taft is
not as popular as he was when he was
elected. But the next year may change
that feeling. l am for him and 1 find
that a majority of Republican business
men are still for him"
That's where l differ with you" said
the dry goods salesman. II voted for
Taft last time, but 1 wouldn't again II
hn al hAlta
he is too easy-going. The Ballinger
scandal and the attempt to get Wiley
out show that Taft has allowed dis
honest men to get control of the Gov
ernment."
I'm for him because he's a good
Q sport" said a man who was leading
numerous family out Of the grand
stand.
q workingmen's quarter of the city said
the high cost of living was the con-
tinuous complaint in his neighborhood.
Taft gets the blame when prices go
up" he said. That's the way 1t is now
with the price Of sugar. Folks say
they've got to hold somebody RESPONSE
BILE, and l guess they are about right.
1 voted for Taft. but haven't made up
my mind whether will again. / think
he should have signed the wool bill"
Taft has made as good a President
as any of those before him." said
factory engineer who confessed Repub
lican principles. No matter who is
President he will dissatisfy some of the
people. I'm not afraid to say l do not
understand the tarifr, and / think Taft
ought TO be given a chance to settle
It his way. Take 1t in my factory-we
~ make brass fiXtures-and you will not
him on account of the tariff. Those
that are against him / find are gener-
allv pretty ignorant on all questions"
Numerous other interviews could be
set down, but all similar to this repre-
sentative batch.
Republican Stronghold
There is one big factor in favor of
the President here, and that is the
stanch loyalty that characterizes the
Republican party in st. Louis. The
city is Republican, and regular or
stand-pat Republican on the whole.
If there is insurgency here it is not
apparent TO the casual observer, as 1t
is in northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and
Iowa. Cannontsm never aroused any
conspicuous protest among local Re-
publicans, and the Payne-Aldrich
tariff law has been denounced almost
exclusively by the Democrats.
Congressman Bartholdt, Catlin, and
Dyer, who represent the three Con-
gressional districts of this city in
the House of. ,Representatiy are
strong stand-patters. Catlin and
Dyer are new men, but DR.. BGrtholdt
loyal hackers that Uncle joe Can
non had during The aScendency Of
Republican insurgency in the House.
He voted for the Payne bill and was
re-Clected by his constituents.
All three members voted for Can
adian reciprocity and against the
Democratic tariff bills of the last
session. They sustained the Presi-
dents veto of the wool and farmers
free list bills.
One man whom the Tribune repre-
sentative interviewed is a steel work.
er in a local mill
81 was at the Coliseum meeting"
he said. "and 1 thought President
Wages are not what they ought to
be and, of course, there is bound to
be more or less discomfort with the
cost of food and clothing going up.
I have thought for years that the
working man was not getting what
was coming to him rightfully.
THE manufacturers tell us they are
able to pay high wages because of pro-
lection, but guess they are not par
ticular about dividing equally with the
Now, Taft says this tariff board will
get all the facts. l hope so, then We'll
have a chance to see whether the man.
ufacturers are getting most OF the profit
out of protection and how much we
ought to get for our labor I say he
ought to have a chance to go ahead
with that thing"
"Should Hasten Tariff Revision"
A railroad official had this interest
ing comment to make:
''I call myself a Democrat, but have
always voted for Republican candi-
dates for President. / can't stand
for Bryan and the rest of the radicals
in the Democratic party. 1 voted for
Taft, and will again. Most business
men are for him because he is safe
and sane.
But realize that there is a mighty
strong sentiment against him among
employed people generally. If the Re-
publican party does not settle this
tariff question it will not have a
ghost of show of re-electing Taft.
The sooner they get busy the better.
1.-The best thing Taft could do would
be to go home and call an extra ses-
sion of Congress right away and get
the job done. His tariff board could
be hurried up with its report / should
think"
The foreman OF a box factory said he
had $50 men under him, mostly Repub-
licans.
"I don't think one of them has lost
confidence in Taft he said. This talk
about his being responsible for high
prices is all bosh. It's crop shortage. I
was over in Howard county this week.
They haven't anything over there
corn knee high, crops total failures,
ard the farmers living on winter