The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-08-24
Our Washington Letter.

Reporter
Washington, Aug. 12.-Today, on
the eve of the momentous occasion
when President Taft must sign or We
to tariff legislation of vast Importance
to the people, he is still surrounded
"by men who know exactly what
they want just as he was when in
duced to sign the Ubiquitous Payne
Aldrich bill.
The semi-official statement given
out by the White House publicity
bureau (Secretary Hilles, Manager)
that the President intends to veto
all tariff revision which Congress
NAV send to him, indicates that the
men "who know exactly what they
want Ian expression coined by the
late Senator DELIVERY also know
what they do not want.
The Presidents advisers are OPP
posed, for instance, to legislation or
any kind that would interfere with
the Payne-Aldrich protection wall,
which gives to the American tariff
trust immunity from competition by
virtue of which they are free to
charge consumers exorbitant prices
without outside interference.
Why Taft Failed.
When the history of Mr.. Taft's ad-
ministration is written, his failure to
win the sympathy of the people Will
no doubt be attributed to his selec-
ton as advisers of men who are not
in sympathy with the needs of the
people of the country.
Let us see who the men are, sur
rounding President Taft, who know
exactly what they" want; and who,
through having practically a mon
opoly of the Presidents ear, have
been able to deceive him into the be-
lief that he is acting the part of
real statesman if he vetoes legisla-
ton of the very character that he
promised the people before election
in order to secure their votes.
"Know What They WANT
In his cabinet President Taft has
Secretary Of State Knox, former
steel trust attorney, Attorney Gener-
al Wickersham, former sugar trust
attorney, and Secretary of Commerce
and Labor Maggie, former attorney
for the Waters-Pierce (Standard) Oil
company.
Then in his immediate family cir
Gle the President has Brother Charles
Taft, who is so constituted temper
mentally and financially that he can
view legislation only from the view
point that big Business views it,;
and also Brother Henry W. Taft, a
member of the New York law firm of
Strong & Cadwallader, which repre-
sents the sugar trust, Wall street
and the great industrial corporations.
For substantiation of any advice
the President may receive from
these sources, he has but to call in
Senator Lippett, Aldrich's successor
from Rhode Island. Mr.. Lippitt is
one of the millionaires of the strug-
Cling cotton trust, and knows exactly
what he wants. Others who know
what they want and upon whom the
President relies are Penrose, Smoot,
| Guggenheim, Du Pont, and the bal
ance of the ring of special privilege
servers in the Senate.
And here is list of the men whose
advise is not sought by Mr.. Taft:
LaFollette, Clapp, Cummins, Bris-
tow and all genuine progressive re-
| publicans.
These facts tell their own story
There is no chance for the Preslden,
to do anything for the people as Iona
as he has his present advisers
around, and from present indications
he has no intention of taking on
new set of advisers.
More About Controller Bay.
The attention of the Graham In
vestigating committee which is prob
ing the action of the President in
secretly aiding the Ryan land-grab'
bers to seize Controller bay in Alas
ka, has been directed to a report Of
the geological survey which shows
that the entire tract is undertake
with oil. The land which President
Taft threw open for exploitation, II
now develops, is of far greater value
than was at first ever dreamed. In
his recent attempted explanation Of
the Controller bay jugglery the Pres
ident attempted to make it appear
that the tract is really of little value
He claimed that the grant did not
give Spectator Ryan, supposed agent
of the Neutrality-suspicious., trans
portation monopoly to the great Ber'
ing river coal fields. Both former
President Roosevelt and Clifford
Pinchot declare that the President'f
statement is Misrepresentation, and
that to all practical ends he has given
away valuable public rights which II
was his sworn duty to protect.
Wiley's Enemies Exposed.
II want to say frankly to you that
the referee board was organized and
put into action for the very purpose
of conserving the interests of the
manufacturers, so you would have 8
safe hearing" Secretary of Agricul'
ture Wilson sometime ago made this
statement to a committee of manu-
facturers, according to testimony
just presented to the committee or
expenditures.
1t will be recalled that the organic
alton to which Secretary Wilson wal
alluding-the Remsen board-re
versed the findings of DR.. Wiley wher
he ruled against the use of benzoate
of soda by embalmed beef manufac
turers. The same board overrulec
| &c.