Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-12-01
President Taft Gives Out
An Authorized Interview
In Which He Freely Dis
cusses His Aims and Am
bitiOns.
EXECUTIVE MAKES
MANLY STATEMENT
Says He Has Made Mistakes
But Declares He Would
Not Sacrifice His PolitiCa!
Independence for Any
Honor.

NEW YORK. Nov. 3O-In current
issue of the Outlook appears an article
entitled president Tafts own Views,
Authorized Interview" in which the
president discusses current topics with
an interviewer; in part as follows:
MIR. president. if you could begin
your administration again. would YOU
repeat your Winona speech tomor-
row"
In phraseology. no. in effect. Yes.
Had | known as much then as | do
now | should have realized that some
things one cannot leave to be taken for
granted. | dictated that speech to Il
stenOgrapher on the cars between sta
tons and glanced through il enough to
straighten out the grammar. If | had
revised it deliberately as | ought to
have done. | should have clarified sev-
eral passages. Particularly | should
have changed the sentence where
proclaimed the Payne tariff act the
best ever passed. The comparative
would have been a better description
in this than the superlative: for what
ever its shortcomings the act still con-
tains less 10 be criticised than its pre-
decessors did as whole to revise ex-
listing schedules downward
Is your tariff reduction program
based on the theory it will bring a cor
responding reduction in the cost of
living"
Il think that that effect has been
greatly overestimatej. The chief OBJ
lection To a needlessly high tariff :s
that it nourishes monopoly II holds
forth temptation for the formation Of
little trusts which often are more di-
rectlv oppressive 10 the consumer than
the big ones"
Mr.. President. you have been criti-
cised for making up a tariff board of
men who are not tariff experts"
That's true: they are not These
men make no pretense of being tariff
experts; they employ all the expert
help they need"
Mr.. President what is your purpose
t. treat as the calendar of unfinished
business for the rest of your term
"The domestic field and | suppose
re eductiOns in the wOolen. cotton
schedules and possibly the metal
schedules of the tariff will go on the
calendar. Another thing. we ought to
obtain legislation To- enable Alaska to
develop without infringing on the police
% conservation. Then the question of
ratifying the peace treaties with Eng
land and France. Fiscal treaties with
Honduras and Nicaragua, which are
in a way. peace treaties also. as its
purpose is To remove one of the most
prolific causes of war
1T is widely hinted your tour was
the opening of campaign for re-elec-
tion?"
Certainly. as is the case in all ad-
much of what I've done
since I have been in office had some
political color put upon it by those in
clined to be critical The truth is. po-
litical considerations have not weighel
heavily with me / tried To do in each
case what seemed To- me the wisest
thing. regardless of the effect on my
future. | am grateful for the honorS
the people have given me | do not af-
feet To- deny the satisfaction | shoull
feel if they decide my first term has
been fruitful enough in good to war
rant enlisting me for another. But.
have not been willing nor shall be 10
purchase it at the sacrifice Of my free
dom To do my duty as | see it."