The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-27
Taft Begins the Presidential
Campaign of 1912 by a
Speech at Home of Con-
gressman Gardner.
TELLS WHY WOOL
BILL WAS VETOED
Scores La Toilette, Champ
Clark and Chairman I'm
derwood for Playing Pol
itics at Extra Session.

II g.. aMlDION, Mass, Aug. 20
n President Taft began the presi-
Dental campaign Of 1912 today,
his friends believe, in a speech
that brenthed defiance and condemned
the insurgent Republicans and the
Democrats, combined TO revise several
schedules of the present tariff at the
special session Of congress just closed,
The president singled out Senator La
Toilette of Wisconsin, Speaker Champ
Clark and Chairman Underwood of the
house ways and means committee, as
leaders of the attempted revision and
charged them with "'playing politics "
Several times he referred by name
to Mr. La Toilette. but mentioned the
other insurgent senators merely as La
Toilette g associates,
Mr.. Taft indicated that he regarded
the proposed revision as injurious and
dangerous to business, but made it PLAIN
that if the tariff board in December re
ported that downward revision of the
cotton and wool schedules should be
made, he would recommend n reduction.
Standing on the broad terrace of Con
gressman A. P. Gardner S farm with
Senator Lodge and other Massachusetts,
Republican leaders, the president
seemed TO scent the smoke Of the COM
ing battle Many of the five hundred
mem bers of the Essex County Repub
lican club, gathered to listen, thought
they heard the "keynote' speech OF
the coming campaign and their cheers
were loud and long.
Senator Lodge supplemented the
president g tariff remarks by few
words, while two Of the three candi-
dates for the Republican nomination for
governor in Massachusetts,. Lieutenant
Governor rockingham and Speaker
Walker spoke also.
Presidents Speech.
The president said in part:
"I am here to speak words of en-
courapement as to the outlook for Re
publican success. You have state
election Immediately before you into
which it seems to me national issues
ought to enter. We have just finished
an extra session of congress and the
matters considered were Of such I'M
portance to the commonwealth of Mass
achusetts that do not see how the peo
pie of the state can withhold an ex-
preston of opinion upon them. The
extra session OF congress was called
for the purpose Of confirming the Can.
adian reciprocity treaty, which it did
by support made up of votes from
both parties. / have no doubt that
Massachusetts. by both parties, would
confirm its adoption
"Our Democratic friends, however,
were not content to allow the session to
pass with the accomplishment Of the
purpose for which it was called. They
assisted-most Of them in the passage
of the reciprocity bill, because they be-
lieyed in its usefulness and in so doing
they united with the Republican sup
port and did not play politics in its
passage. I am very sorry 10 say. how
ever, that having pursued a purely
statesmanlike course, with reference to
reciprocity, they did 'play politics OF
tho most irresponsible character in re-
spect to three tariff bills. which by
uniting with certain Republicans in the
| senate. they were able to pass and pre-
| sent to the executive for his sigma
| tuTe.
Tariff for Politics.
"The bills bear internal evidence of
the fact that they rested on basis OF
not tariff for revenue only but tar
iff for politics only, The first-the
wool bill-wns introduced in the house
by Mr.. Underwood, the Democratic
leader, with the statement that it was
free-tradc' bill. and was not intended
TO provide protection to the wool or
woolen industry, but that the 90 per
cent tax which was placed on raw wool
imported into this country was made
necessary rs a revenue measure by the
prospect of deficit III the national
revenues.
"This WAS a most profound error,
made by Mr Underwood, through a
mistake in adding up the columns of
the estimated revenues and expendi'
tures. so that instead of being de-
fjcit as suggested. there is in reality a
surplus of S40.000,000. Though this
error was made known to him. the 20
per cent tax upon raw wool was never
theless retained,
UThe measure then passed rs free
trade measure to the senate of the
United States, where, being defeated,
the Democrats and so-called Rcpubli-
can insurgents united in passing AS
substitute the amendment Of n bill pre-
nnred By Senator La Toilette on the
floor without reference to. OF investi.
cation by any committee. The bill
went to conference and emerged after
| n further compromise providing duty
OF % per cent on raw wool and an
average OF 40 per cent on woolen man