The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-09-22
SIX QUEsTIo
y FOR MR.. TAFT.

SIX QUESTIONS
IF T OR MR.. TAFT.
When Mr.. Taft was inaugural
ed, it was with more general good
will than had marked the inaugu-
ration Of any other president
since the civil war. That was only
thirty months ago. ~. =. -
And two years Igo this fall
when he made his first presiden-
tial tour, his praise Of Aldrich and
his endorsement Of the Payne
Aldrich law, at Winona were re.
ceived with tolerant and respect
full silence. by the people OF
the west, who felt that~~that law
was betrayal of the party and
that Senator Aldrich was tn:
principal traitor:
Two years l:o the people in
the western states were not un.
willing to believe that the signing
and the defense CT tt.' tariff bill
we're grave, but retrievable blund-
"rs Of we'll intentioned, though
inexperienced president.
Since then, a great deal has
happened to change the attitude
Of the people toward the presi-
dent. Now he will be expected in
the course Of his two hundred
speeches, unequivocally and with,
out inviting his hearers to consen,
to further presidential ~procrasti-
nation.
The people will ask the presi.
dent why he considered a reduc.
ton Of the duties on agricultural
products so urgent as to require
a special session of congress while
he compelled the country to await
the revision Of the much debated
we'll studied, we'll understood and
discredited wool schedule, until
he should publish the report of his
tariff board. Whatever be the
merits of the reciprocity policy
the farmers Of the west will want
him to tell them how they were
benefited in the past by protec
tive duties on farm products i1
the Dingley and Payne laws. il
they are not in need of protection
under reciprocity.
They are not confused abou
reciprocity. 1t will reduce thu
cost Of living or it will not. If i
will not, it is pretense if it will
it MUST reduce the prices O
farm products. In this connec
ton it is significant that the Ca
madam Pacific Railway, (Which
next to the government, is tn
largest land owner in Canada
has advertised that reciprocit,
will increase farm land values il
the Dominion by 100 per cent.
The people will expect the pres
ident to plainly state whether h
is in favor Of Aldrich centra
bank plan, or opposed to it. The,
want to know why a central bank
ing organization, under the Aid
rich plan will not be controlled b,
the great moneyed interest
which center in Wall Street. TIL
western people are deeply and in
dividually interested in the cu1
rency question, because a mono
poly of the credit Of the countr
will throttle the free develop
ment of Western industries an
reduce them to a condition of il
dustrial and fiscal dependenc
such as is now sometimes to b
found in Pennsylvania, Ne,
York, New Jersey @'and New Ems
land.
Remembering that Richar
Achilles Ballinger came from tn
state of Washington to the cab;
net, as a representative Of tn
public land states Of the north
west and that, later, his own stat
by an overwhelming vote sent hi
critic, Poindexter, to the senate
they will want to know the presi
dents exact attitude on the sew
eral conservation questions; tn
public land question; the ques
ton of the preservation and tn
use of national forests; the de
velopment of the Alaska Goa
fields; the construction and con
troll Of railroads in Alaska. The,
will expect Mr.. Taft to be ex
plicit-to outline a definite polio,
so they may know whether his in
clination is toward the develop
ment of natural resources by sucl
large and enterprising syndicate
as that Of Guggenheim and Nor
| Uan mr. hv nionooro nrooDoo+or