The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-07-20

tariff by special session of Congress Immediately following the inaugura. tion of the next President" This was promise for revision, not at some future and indefinite time but, in deference to the demand that could no longer be denied, that con. vention said to the voters of America IT you will trust us once more, we will revise the tariff, not at some con- venient time in the next four years; we will not ask you to wait even un. til the meeting of the next regular session, but we will hasten with all possible speed and revise the tariff By special session of Congress inn | mediately following the inauguration of the next President That, MT. President, was a specific promise for a prompt revision of the tariff.
 But. sir, the members of that con- vention likewise realized that it was vital, in view of the temper of the public upon this question, to be equal ly definite, clear, and specific in their promise as to the kind of revision that would be insured to the American peo- pie if they would elect a Republican President and a Republican Congress.
 In what terms did they character ize that revision? I quote from the last Republican national platform. They promised revision ''by the imposition of such duties as will equal the difference between the cost of production at home and abroad"
 Nothing vague about that. In good plain AnglO-SaXOn they wrote into the platform of 1908 the most precise dec laration of the true principle of pro- lection ever recorded by a Republican national convention.
 And then, sir, they named William Howard Taft as the man in the Re- publican Party best qualified to re- deem in letter and spirit the solemn promise made to the American people on that June day, 1908.
 And MT. Taft accepted the trust
 Sir, the selection seemed a wise and fitting one
 The candidate went forth to meet the issue and to satisfy the, univer- sal demand for tariff revision. From his first utterance it was made clear that the Republican Party would, as trusted with power, revise the Ding ley tariff rates generally downward, to the end that trusts and combina- tions which had formed behind the high-tariff wall should no longer find protection in wrongdoing.
 In his speech of acceptance July 28, 1908, he said:
 '"The tariff in a number of the sched- uies exceeds the difference between the cost of production of such articles abroad and at home, including a req sonable profit to the American pro- ducer. The excess over that differ ence serves no useful purpose, but of fers temptation to those who would monopolize the production and the sale of such articles in this country to profit by the excessive rate.''
 Day by day, as the campaign pro- gressed, this paramount issue became more and more the dominant and ll-prevailing thought in the speeches of the candidate.
 Day by day his declaration for down. ward revision grew stronger and more emphatic.
 On September g, 1908, in his speech at Cincinnati he said:
 The Dingley tariff has served the country well. but it's rates have be- come generally excessive. They have become generally excessive because conditions have changed since it's pas sage in 1897.''
 The American people interpreted this