The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-10
HARMON FLAYS
 TAFT'S TARIFF
 REFORM IDEAS Governor of Ohio Says Pres ident and Not Democrats
 Played Politics
PRESIDENTS VIEWS
 ARE ATTACKED
Opposed in State Reforms by Repub- lican Assembly-If Democrats Played Politics People Will
 Cry Go On With Game

Boston, September s.-Although rain forced the postponement of the open air
 barbecue planned for today at the open ing of the democratic campaign for the
 coming state election, the democratic city committee quickly readjusted its plans,
 and an enthusiastic gathering of demo- crats listened to addresses by prominent members of the party In Fanueil hall. The chief guest and speaker was Gov ernor Harmon of Ohio, while speeches
 were also made by Governor Floss of Massachusetts and Mayor John F. Fitz- gerald of Boston.
 | President Taft's attitude toward tariff reform was attacked by Governor liar
 mon, who said that the Presidents course in vetoing tariff bills passed by the spe-
 cial session of Congress indicated that
 he had been reached by wrong advis- ers' Speaking of the Presidents ob-
 jections to these bills, he said: "These 1 and other marks of paternity suggest the question whether the vetoes may not
 have been adopted offspring, like the de- 1 fense of Ballinger.
 | "He needed no commissioner" said the l speaker, when he promised a general | reduction before his election, nor when | he called the special session to keep | the promise, nor when he signed the bill that broke the promise, nor when he l confessed that the woolen and cotton goods duties were too high, nor when he
 made the agreement with Canada. His position is simply that those who, by the | trickery of tariff making, have secured a license to impose exorbitant prices on
 the American people, shall go on doing 1t in spite of the action of both Houses of Congress, until five men who are
 not responsible to the people, nor even experts, shall advise him how much these favor taxes ought to be reduced, and how to do it scientifically. He ad- mits they are too high on these absolute and universal necessities of life. but ne | fears these bills may have cut them too | much. All the men, women and chil- dren of the land must continue to suf- | fer an admitted wrong which affects health and comfort rather than run any
 risk of causing too much shrinkage in profits made excessive by law. The peo- pie must not even have the benefit of the doubt.
 If the present tariff charges had been fixed merely without proper knowledge
 and skill 1t could well be said that an 'unscientifc remedy is good enough for an unscientifc wrong, especially when
 
 advantage of dealing with actual re-
 suits while those who did the wrong acted only on conjecture. But the tayne- -A1drich -Smoot law had far
 worse sire than ignorance. And 1t Is a reflecuon on our plan of government to say that the fragrant iniquities of that law shall go on defying good sense, common knowledge and honest purpose until a commission without legal re- sponsibility or authority shall decide how the duly chosen law making body may deal with them.
 T believe in the vetoe power. But it Is to be employed only on the clear and positive conviction of the executive that the public interest so requires. He Is allowed ten days to consider and decide If he remains in doubt at the end of that time action on his part is dis- pensed with and the judgment of the legislative body becomes effective With out it. For the President to defeat the action of Congress, especially when It follows the plain mandate of the coun- try, merely because he is not certain about it himself and wants to wait for somebody else to advise him. is a new and perilous departure from the wise design of the constitution.
 We have had tariff commissions be-
 fore, but none of them ever accom- plished anything but delay. And if ever time Is money it certainly Is to the ben eficiaries of a favor tariff. The con- sumers of the country were entitled to at least partial immediate relief This Congress gave and the President took away His tenderness was all for the few who profit by the present excessive rates He hardened his heart to the multitude who are compelled to pay the exorbitant prices which include them.
 Not content with calling the major ni1n lon and ignorant" continued Governor liar mon, though inN his vetoes he did so in parliamentary phrase, the President now in public speeches, charges them with insincerity, employing the ruder language of the stump. He says they were playing politics. fsf
 "This gives fellow feeling for Messrs. Clark and Underwood and their asso- ciates For when I set about the re- forms in Ohio which was elected to se- cure I found myself confronted by gen eral assembly, republican in both branches which undertood to discredit my administration In every way it could. It smothered or defeated measures pro- posed to prevent further grafting with the treasury funds. to limit taxation and distribute 1t fairly, to reduce expenses and secure effective conduct Of the pub
 lie business When I persisted in urg-
 ing measures for these and other worthy oblects, though I knew the fixed purpose to make my efforts fruitless, I, too, was
 charged with playing politics. which means pursuing a course from some un- worthy motive, and any motive except to pr omote the general welfare is unworthy
 in a public officer. +
 But at the first opportunity the voters of the state most emphatically declared that they play politics who thwart ef- forts for reforms and not they who make such efforts. however hopeless O. imme- diate success.
 And talk of playing politcsr The members Of the obstructive republican
 legislature were, according to press re- ports in constant touch with the national administration during both sessions. The speaker and leaders frequently went to Washington and conferred with the Pres ident Half the cabinet were sent to take part in the campaign last fall where the direct issue was who had been playing politics and who was trying to serve the public interests. Yet, in dispatches inspired in Washington the claim is now set up that this great record of accomplishment by a democratic administration is due to those who had to be twice defeated at the polls to secure it. Even from Wash
 irgfon.' says ore of these, after reciting with praise what has been done, where it was realized by the republican chief tain that the democrats would claim most of the credit for the passage of such leg isIation, republicans in the legislature were urged and advised to support pro posed laws which in their operation would
 prove to be a benefit to the great masses Of the people,
 This chieftain must have little i'm xx,tfb fnllnvVarg in Ohio hp-