The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-11
Drenry outtook for ,r,ft

w ashington. May 10.-Nothing that
has happened in Washington in recent
months mas caused more Of stir
among the politicians than the speech
which was made the other day 10 rep
rcsentatives of the Grange by Prcsi-
dent Taft
Reduced to the language that every
body understands, the President told
the men representing the Grange who
called on him and told him the dan
gers OF reciprocity. and, In effect. held
the club OF political retaliation over
his head. that II they did not like II
they could do as they. pleased about it,
President Taft did not tell his visitors
10 go TO warmer community. but lie
came close to using thatilanguage.
or course, when President INDUCES
In any such plain speaking as this
the politicians hold up their hands
and wonder what is going to come Of
II all. Just now they are saying that
the effect Of this speech will be 10
bury President Taft so deep in ballots
In the elections of next year that he
Will not be able to set out for months
Taft's Chances Look Poor
AS matter of fact. the politicians
have been talking With great frank
ness about the case OF President Taft
for months. Most OF them agree tnat
he is not going to be e-elected, pro-
yided the Democrats nominate u strong
candidate. The Democratic politicians.
of course. aver this. Most OF the reg
ular Republicans say the same thing.
Some OF the regulars want the Pres
ident TO succeed himself, and others
do not AS for the insurgent Republi-
cans. most of them are hostile to the
President and want him defeated.
though 1t cannot be said all OF them
are or this mind. 5
In general way, this represents
the situation as 1t has existed here
! for many weeks. Now. on top of this,
| comes the advocacy of Canadian reel
procty by the President. This has
resulted In more or less OF a protest
from the farmers. especially those in
tho border States. The opponents of
President TAFT say that the advocacy
of reciprocity, and especially the vir-
tuai defiance OF these farmers in
creases his difficulties
The UItimnte Consumer.
But there is another side to the
situation. In the first place, 1t is quite
| clear that only part Of the farmers
arc opposed 10 1.-The Canadian agree
mont In the second place the cues
lion is raised TO what extent the Pres
ident by his light for reciprocity, is
going TO rally TO his support the ulti-
mate consumers of the United States
| who live in the cities and towns. The
agitation OF the tariff question to-day
Is due to the protest of the ultimate
consumers against the high cost Of
living.
Without any doubt, the character Of
the population of the country is chang
Ing The United States Is becoming a.
nation In which the number Of con-
sumers Is growing by leaps and bounds.
and the relative humber Of producers
Is diminishing.
The President, in his advocacy OF
reciprocity. has taken the side. as gem
/, orally considered. of the consuming
public This raises the question in n
political way. whether the consumers
Of the country are going to stand by
him. In other words. the question Is
whether the President will gain as
much support from the consumers as
he Is going to lose from those pro-
ducins elements that oppose reciprocity
or any reduction OF tariff duties.
Fears n Loss of Votes.
The President hlmselfis not looking
for anything but loss Of votes from
the advocacy of reciprocity. He did
not take the matter up for the sake Of
political advantage. He realizes as
well as any one that he will probably
suffer severe political consequences.
Sill 1t might happen TO turn out tho
other way. f
Ana TINS is what the political wise
acres are wondering about. They are
Specializing whether, after all. 1T might
! not happen that the downtrodden I'LL
Innate consumer who has been getting
the worst of II SO long, might not go
to the polls In such numbers next cleo
| ton day as TO smash all calcula lions
and keep Mr.. Taft in office. The tables
of probabilities do not indicate that
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