The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-30
PRESIDENT TAFT's CAMPAIGN,

Dispatches from Beverly. Massachu.
setts, indicate that President Taft is
inclined to make the tariff the main is
sue Of next years campaign. II he
does so he will necessarily have 10
condemn the act of his own party in
the extra session of two years ago when
the tariff was revised upward, and the
question was dealt with so treacherous.
~ that, in place of this great Issue be-
ing settled. il was reopened wider than
ever, and put before the country in n
more virulent form than for many years
past.
President Taft, in his campaign
speeches in 1905, emphatically assured
the country that the tariff was to be
revised downward. in accordance with
the pledge of the Republican platform
upon which he then was standing. The
Republican Senate, however. took a
wholly different view of it, declared
that there had been no promise TO re-
wise the tariff downward, and proceed
ed in a manner totally irresponsible to
party obligation, and contemptuously to
the public at large, to deal with the tar
iff question without any regard TO party
obligation or public concern; the ad-
vantages of "the interests were alone
consulted
II will be extremely difficult for Pres
ident Taft to explain to the people next
year how it is that he is Obliged TO
come before them again on the tariff
issue. after assuring them as he did in
the campaign of 1908 that the tariff
was TO be revised downward for the re-
lief of the people What faith will the
voters be able TO put in President
Taft s assurances next year of relief
on the tariff charges, when his plighted
faith of four years before was so ut
terly forfeited by the action of his
party in the Senatef
II will be easy for President Taft TO
point out that the tariff bills passed
by the Democrats and in the Senate,
first with the help Of one faction OF
the Republican party. and then with
the help Of the other faction of that
party, were ipconsiderate, unfair,
and justly subject to veto. But,
how can he explain the failure of his
own party IN the face of the pledge he
himself made TO settle the tariff qucs-
tion properly and fairly four years be
fore? Will the voters not be justified
in saving that four wears before they
trusted to his party and 10 his spoken
word interpreting the declaration OF
that party, and were betrayed by hrs
party and by himself in signing the
pledge breaking tariff bill that was
enacted by the special session Of Con-
gress of l9097
The people of the United States made
part answer to this question in the
election of last year, when they re
turned a Democratic House. Will they
not he apt to make the same answer
next year, not only in returning Dem
)cratie House, but in electipg q Demo.
cratic Presidents When n party has
specifically and definitely betrayed its
trust on a given question which was
we'll defined and was positively dealt |
with, Will the voters not be apt to say
that that party is no lnnger worthy OF
trust. and turn over the management
Of public affairs to the opposition party, !
which. whatever may be said about the
of trusting it TO deal with |
the tariff question, has certainly not
given any such exhibition of treachery
and betrayal of the people as was given
by the Republican party and the Re
publican President in the revision OF
he tariff made by that party s Con-
,ress. and signed by that party's Pres
dent, in 1909!
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