New-York tribune., 1911-12-01
Would Not Now Call Payne
Tariff Act the Best Ever
Passed, as He Did in
Winona Speech.
BUT II PRODUCES REVENUE
Proud Of Tariff Board and Cor
poration Tax-Would Like
denomination, but Not at
Sacrifice of Freedom
and Principles.

Taft bv Francis f. Leupp. former Indian
Commissioner, biographer of President
Roosevelt and writer. and the President
answered this and a number Of other
equally pertinent questions. The result
IS an authorized interview" in the cur
rent Outlook" from which the following
IS taken.
In phraseology, no, in effect, yes, the
President answered; and he goes on TO
say:
Had 7 known as much as ! do now
should have realized that there are
some things one cannot leave to be taken
for granted. I dictated that speech to
stenographer on the cars between two
stations. and glanced through it only
enough to straighten its grammar, 1t
vas sent out by the press with CORE
spondingly little ceremony, so that pa p
pers received it in all sorts of shapes.
If I had prepared it two or three weeks
before. and revised it deliberately, as |
ought to have done ! should nave
clarified several passages. And parucu-
!
where 7 proclaim the Payne tariff act
+he hest ever passed. The comparative
would have been Il better description
than the superlativc, for. whatever its
shortcomings, the act still contains less
10 be criticised than its predecessors,
and il did. as q whole revise the exist
ing schedules downward.
Il had no fault t. find with either
Democrats or insurgents for trying TO
reduce any duties they choose. what l
object 10 is disturbing the business Of
the country to-day. when there is notn-
ing better than guesswork TO proceed
,pou. and then disturbing it afresh siA
months later when the best available in
formation is before us. l do not join III
The charge of inconsistency against the
Democrats for compromising with La
Toilette on the wool schedule instead of
standing by their own figures. II they
could not get all the reductions they
asked for. they were quite justified In
taking what they could get My chief
criticism on their tariff activities last
session was that they were willing to
send 10 me legislation so crude and Ill
digested that they must have known II
they had paused TO think, that l could
not possibly approve it,
is Your tariff reduction programme
based on the theory that 1t VIII bring
about corresponding reduction IN the
cost Of livingY
# think that thG effect Is greatly
oycrestimated Ny chief objection TO a
needlessly high tariff is that 1t nour-
ishes monopoly. u holds forth con-
slant .emptation TO the formation OF lit
tlc trusts. which often are more directly
oppressive to the consumer than big
ones
Programme in 61st Congress.
What of your legislative programme
I'm the regular session of the 61st Con-
gress?"
There were three measures before the
regular session Of the 61st Congress
which [ considered of prime importance:
the railroad bill, the postal savings bill
and the conservation bill. On the first
the insurgent opposition rendered some
OF the provisions more drastic against
the railroads in lengthening the time
during which the Interstate Commerce
Commission could suspend a proposed
increased rate from sixty days to ten
months before rendering a decision, If
necessary. and also in making a change
in the long and short haul clause in the
interest of the interior shipper. They
also excluded some useful limitations
upon the railway companies. had rec
commended that no railway company be
allowed to acquire stock Of a competing
company. but with such provisions for
resolving arrangements already existing
as would avoid confiscation recon-
msnded also. in accordance with the Re
publican platform and Mr. Roosevelts
frequent recommendation, that compet-
ing railroads be permitted TO make
thirty-day agreements as to the rates
they would charge between common
points, from which either OF the parties
could recede at will. The Insurgents in
sisted on throwing out both these feat
ures, because they found Something in
them inconsistent with the Sherman act.
which in those days was tegarded as
the Ark Of the Covenant instead OF a
target for attack or amendment as now.
Although my proposals were progressive,
I accepted a half loaf rather than no
bread, and signed the bill.
Into the postal SAVINGS bin the SEN
ate insurgents tried 10 inject an amend
rnent which would have left ne no es-
cape from a veto. They wanted 10
stake down the deposits in The neigh
borhoods where made, forbiddhg the
government TO remove the money except
In an emergency OF war. TINS vas an
intoerable proposition, because Il would
have greatly embarrassed the govern
ment and would have seriously inter-
fered with its ability TO meet al cnce its
obligations The only way II vas beat
en- was by mastering the votes Of the
regulars, and then it was close shave"
But yo's conservation measure sur
yived?"
Yes.-to my great relief; for y not
only gave me the opportunity 70 WITH
draw about seventy million acres Gland
on my own account, but validated The
Withdrawals already made, which tcsr-
Continued on sRcga9 Rskss