The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-08-31
Another Taft Journey.

In an endeavor to persuade tie peo-
pie of that abounding section that
his administration Of the government
is best for their interests. His jour
ney, it is said, will be almost as ex-
tensive as was the one made ia 1903,
after the enactment of the Payne-Al-
drich tariff revisions" measure,
which he attempted to justify before
the country. The Charleston Evening
Post says "the results Of that tour
we're scarcely such as to encourage
a new undertaking along the same
line, but Mr.. Taft evidently thinks he
may do something, by his personal
appearance and appeal, to move a
sentiment in the West favorable to
his interests. The prospect is far
from promising, to the critical obser-
yer. ,se
!''The president appeared before
the country in 1909, less than year
after his election to Office Oh a plat
form pledging downward revision Of
the tariff, to justify the enactment of
a tariff law framed up by Senator
Aldrich to prevent the very purpose
Of that pledge, and most successful
ly framed for the purpose of its auth
or. Mr.. Taft had approved that
measure and had given it the force
of law. He took the stump TO justt-
fy it, and he claimed that it was the
best tariff law ever enacted by the
Republican party. His famous WI
mona speech, in which he exalted the
standpatters and riddled the real re-
visionists of his party, gave consider
able of a shock to those who had
hoped for serious effort On the part
of the President to bring about a re-
duction Of the tariff.
."It was the general opinion that
Mr.. Taft did not improve his polltl-
cal credit by that swing around the
circle. The next fall the country re-
turned a great Democratic majority
to Congress, sent several Democrats
to the Senate, and Enthusiastically de-
clared for true revision of the tariff.
The President responded to the de-
mand to the extent Of recommending
to Congress at it's regular session the
adoption of reciprocity agreement
he had negotiated with Cansda. Con-
gress, being in the control CT his own
party, that is to say, being under the
domination of standpatterss failed to
Satify the agreement. The President
then called the new Congress into
extraordinary session to consider the
reciprocity agreement, and the DEM
ocrats, being in control OF the House
this time, and having an Increased
representation in the Senate, the
agreement was ratified, though the
rank and file of the Presidents own
party opposed 1t. .
"The reciprocity agreement Is good
enough as far as it goes, but 1t goes
only a little way toward relieving
the burdens of the tariff upon the av-
erage consumer. The Democrats OF
the House, taking seriously and faith
fully the commission given them by
the people, preceded to proove tar
iff revision, real and direct, and, bg
coalition with the progressive Repub-
licans Of the Senate, there was laid
before the President first a wool re-
vision measure, and, second a FAR
merss free list bill" designed to
counteract, so far rs the farmer was
concerned, some OF the imagined Ill
effects upon agricultural interests OF
the reciprocity agreement The Pres
ident vetoed both measures, out OF
hand, saying, tnat nothing, should be
done toward revising the Gariff until
the commission appointed to invesu-
gate the whole subject had made
report.
"Mr. Taft therefore goes before the
country on practically the same rec
ord he had in 1909, when he made
his long tour. He will undertake to
convince the people that his admins
tration has been doing al it could
do, and all that should be done, to
reform the tariff laws OF the coun-
try and relieve the burden Its places
upon the cost of living. He has a
stout piece Of work cut cut for him
and it is more than likely that the
road to Democratic control Of the
government he began so we'll in his
tour Of the country in 1909 will be-
pretty wer completed by his 1911
trip through the West"