Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-05-20
49, i
.DEFIED FARMERS
Taft's Speech Surprises
Politicians.
WONDER WHAT WILL COME NEXT
Told Callers if They Didn't Like
Like His Reciprocity Work They
Could Do as They Pleased
About 1t.
WONDER WHAT WILL COME NEXT

Washington, May IL. - President
Taft's speech to farmers the other day
has astonished the professional poli..-
clans as nothing has for months
Reduced to the language that every
body understands, the president told
the gentlemen representing the
Grange, who called on hip and told
him about the dangers of reciprocity
to the farmer, and in effect held the
club of political retaliation over his
head that If they did not like it they
could do as they pleased about It,
OF course, when a president in
dulges in such plain speaking as this
the politicians hold up their hands
and wonder what is to come of it all.
Just now they are saying that the
effect of this speech will be to bury
President Taft so deep in ballots in
the elections of next year that he will
not be able to get out for months.
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 that
he will not be e-elected-provided
the Democrats nominate strong can
didate. The Democratic politicians, of
course, aver this, and most of the reg.
ular politicians say the same thing
Some of the regulars want the presi-
dent to succeed himself, and others
do not AS for the insurgent Republl-
cans, most of them want him defeat
ed.
In a general way, this represents
the situation as it has existed for
many weeks; and the opponents of
Taft now say that his advocacy of re-
ciprocity, and especially his virtual de
fance of the farmers, who are against
reciprocity, greatly accentuates his
difficulties.
But there is another side to the
situation. In the first place, 1t Is
clear that only part of the farmers
are opposed to the Canadian agree
ment. In the second place, the ques-
ton is raised to what extent President
Taft, by his fight 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 is due
to the protest of the ultimate consum-
ers against the high cost of living.
Without doubt the character of the
population of the country is changin
The United States is becoming ma
ton in which the number of consum-
ers is growing by leaps and bounds,
while the number of producers is rela-
lively diminishing.
President Taft, in his advocacy of
reciprocity, has taken the side, it is
ing public. This raises the question in
a political way whether the consum-
ers of the country are going to stand
by him. In other words, the question Is
whether the president will gain as
much supporter more-from the con-
sumers as he is going to lose from
those producing elements that oppose
reciprocity or any reduction of tariff
duties.
President Taft himself is not look
ing 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 real
ICES as well as any one that he will
probably suffer severe political conse-
quences. Still, it might happen to turn
out the other way. And this is what
the political wiseacres are wondering
about.