The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-09-14
GOES FOR TAFT
The President is Shown Up in bis True
l,rs By Governor Harmon.
WHO FLAYED HIM ALIVE

Before Gathering Of the Democratic
Clubs in Boston the Chief EXecu-
tives Attitude Towards the Tariff
Was Attacked by the Chief Execu-
tive of Ohio.
President Tafts attitude toward
tariff reform was attacked by Govern
or Harmon of Ohio ia a speech before
the gathering of Democratic clubs.
Governor Harmon said that the pres.
ident's course in vetoing tariff bills
passed by the special session of con.
gress indicated that he had been
reached by wrong advisers" Speak
ing of the presidents objections to
these bills he said: "These and 9TH
er marks of paternity suggest the
question whether the vetoes may not
have been adopted offspring, like the
defense of Ballinger."
"He needed no commissioner,
said the speaker, when he promised
general reduction before his elec-
ton, nor when he called the special
session TO keep the promise, nor when
he signed the bill that broke the pro-
| mise, nor when he confessed that the
woolen and cotton goods duties were
too high, nor when he made the
agreement with Canada. His posi-
ton is simply that those who by
trickery Of tariff making laws have
secured a license to impose exorbi-
tant prices on the American people
shall go on doing it, in spite OF the
action of both houses Of congress,
until five men who are not RESPONSE
BILE to the people, nor even experts,
shall advise him how much these fa-
vor taxes ought to be reduced and
how to do it scientifically. He then
admits they are too high on these abb
solute and universal necessities of
life, but he fears these bills may have
cut them too much. All the men, Wo-
men and children in the land must
continue to suffer for an admitted
wrong which affects health and COM
| fort rather than run any risk Of caus-
ing too much shrinkage. in profits
made excessive by law. The people
must not even have the benefit of the
doubt.
eff the present tariff charges had
knowledge and skill it could we'll be
, said that an 'unscientific' remedy is
good enough for an unscientllc
wrong, especially when those who
apply the remedy have the advantage
of dealing with actual results while
those who did the wrong acted only
on conjecture. But the Payne-Al-
drich-Smoot law had far worse sire
than ignorance. And it is a reflec-
tion on our plan Of government to
say that the fragrant iniquities of that
law shall go on defying good sense,
common knowledge and honest pur-
pose until commission without legal
pofsibility or authority shall de-
eide how the duly chosen law making
body may deal with them.
II believe in the veto power. But
it. is to be employed only on the
clean and positive conviction of the
executive that the public interest SO
requires. He is allowed ten days to
consider and decide. If he remains
in doubt at the end of that time ac-
ton of his part is dispensed with
and the judgment Of the legislative
body become effective without 1t.
For the president to defeat the action
of congress, especially when 1t fol-
lows the plain mandate of the coun-
try merely because he is not certain
about it himself and wants to wait
for somebody else to advise him, Is
new and perilous departure from the
wise design of the constitution.
1--WE have had tariff commission
before but none Of them ever ac-
complished anything but delay. And
if ever time is money it certainly is
to be beneficiaries Of favor tariff.
The consumers of the country were
entitled to at least partial immediate
relief. This congress gave and the
president took away. His tenderness
was all for the few who profit by the
present excessive rates. He harden
cd his heart to the multitude who are
compelled to pay the eXorbitant
prices which include them"
mot content with calling the ma
jority in congress unscientific, incom-
| petent and ignorant, continued Gov
Harmon, though in his vetocs he
did so in parliamentary phase, the
president now, in public speeches,
, charges them with insincerity, EN-
ploying the ruder language of the
stump. He says they were playing
politics.
This gives a fellow feeling for
Messrs. Clark and Underwood and
their association. For when I sci
about the reforms in Ohio which I
was elected to secure found myself
confronted by a general assembly
Republican in both branches, which
undertook to discredit my admins
tration in every way it could. 1t
smothered or defeated measures