Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-08-29
PRESIDENT SCORES.
THE REV|S|0N|STs
TAFT FIRES THE FIRST GUN IN
1912 PRESIDENTIAL CAM.
PAlGN.
DOESN'T FAVOR LOWER TARIFF
Asserts orioinators Of Bills "PIaysd
PoIitics."-La Toilette, Underwood
and Clark Singled Out a. the
Leaders.

Hamilton, Mass, Aug. 2S.-What Il
believed by his friends to be the first
gun in President Taft's presidential
campaign of 1912, was fired here by
the executive in speech that breathed
defiance, and in which he scored the
"insurgent members of the Republic
can party in congress and the Demo
Gratis who combined with them to re-
wise several schedules of the pres,
ent tariff at the special session Of
congress just ended.
Standing on the broad terrace Of
Congressman A. P. Gardner's farm,
with Senator Lodge and other Massa.
chusetts Republican leaders. the pres.
ident seemed to scent the smoke of
the coming battle. Many of the five
hundred members of the Essex Coun.
ty Republican club. gathered below
to listen, thought they heard the key.
note" speech of the coming campaign,
and their cheers were loud and long.
Never in the history of the govern.
ment. the president declared. have i'm.
portant public interests been dealt
within such light-hearted way, with
such absolute ignorance Of the effect
of legislation. and with such willing.
ness to sacrifice business interests to
political exigencies, as in the tariff
legislation which has just been de-
feated.
Singles Out Leaders.
The president singled out Senator
La Toilette of Wisconsin, Speaker
Champ Clark of the house and Chair
man Underwood of the house ways
and means committee, as leaders Of
the attempted revision and gave them
special mention. He declared that
Mr.. Underwood made profound er.
TOR" in his statement that the 20 per
cent tax which was placed on raw
wool imported into this country was
made necessary as revenue meas.
ure by the prospect Of deficit in
the national revenues.
Mr.. Underwood, the president said,
made. the mistake in adding up the
columns of the estimated revenues and
expenditures, SO that instead of being
$4O.oOO.00O. Though this error was
pointed out to Mr.. Underwood, Presi
dent Taft asserted, the 20 per cent
tax upon wool nevertheless was re.
tanned.
The coalition amendment finally
adopted in both houses of congress,
the executive said, was prepared by
Senator La Toilette on the floor with.
out reference to or investigation by
any committee.
No tariff bill In any ones recollec.
ton, Mr.. Taft said, had ever been
passed with so little care Legisla.
ton of such a reckless nature, he do
clared, would imperil the industries
Of the country so that nothing short
Of most serious business depres.
sion could be expected as result.
All the tariff bills which the special
session of congress failed to put on
the statute books. the president as.
serted, bear internal evidences of the
fact that they rested on basis not
of ff-for-revenue-only," but for
"tarifffOr-politics-on
La Foiiette's Associates"
Mr.. Taft referred to Senator La
Toilette several times. and mentioned
the other insurgent senators merely az
the Wisconsin senator's Associates"
Though declaring that he regarded
the proposed revision as injurious and |
to business. the president
made it plain that if the tariff board |
in December reports that downward |
revision of the cotton and wool sched.
ules should be made, he will recon.
mend the use of the pruning knife.