New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-17
PRESIDENT DEFINES
THE SUPREME ISSUE
Tells Why the Republican Party
Should Be Continued in
Government Control.
KEPT TIE FAITH, HE SAYS
Explains His Approval of the
Payne Tariff Act and Asserts
His Loyalty to the Pro-
tective Policy.

Declaring that when he took the oath
OF Office as President OF the United
States 1t was with an infinitely greater
appreciation Of the responsibilities than
OF the honor OF that Office; that Ito me
there came as heritage the noble rec
ords Of those who had gone before.
Washington and Lincoln, Grant and Gar
field. Mckinley and Roosevelt" and that
II have kept the faith" President Taft,
under the title Of THE Supreme Issue"
contributes to The Saturday Evening
POST Of October 70 an article setting
forth his reasons for contending that the
Republican party should be intrusted with
the direction Of the government for an
other four years.
Mr.. Taft gives lucid explanation OF
his reasons for signing the Payne tariff
bill in the following words:
The Payne tariff bill l approved be-
cause, above all, II provided the ma
chtnery by which alone Just and in
telligent revision OF the tariff could be
effected-a tariff board which, without po-
litIcal bias and free from political pres
sure, would ascertain those facts essen
tial to any intelligent adjustment OF the
rates Of duty: because IL clothed the Elk
mum and minimum rates, 20 compel Just
treatment from foreign nations OF Ameri-
can products and exports; because IL i'm
posed tax on the profits OF corporations
that at once gave to the government an
insight into the operations Of these i'm
portnnt instrumentalities OF business,
which il had no other way been able TO
obtain, and because It provided the ma
chinery whereby increased revenues could
be- collected with facility in the face OF
an emergency; because IL granted 10 the
Filipinos that measure OF justice 10 which
this nation stood pledged and which was
essential 10 their prosperity; and, finally.
because Il effected a material reduction
in the rates Of duty--not so much Of a
reduction as I desired, but as much as I
believed could be secured without tho aid
OF that machinery, the Tariff Board,
which II created.
The President asserts his loyalty 20
the protective policy, saying:
In sixty years this nation has prospered
under the policy Of protection for It's own
people against the competition OF those
i less wen governed High .taneardss ss OF
maintained. Our producers and our
manufacturers have prospered and our
wealth has Increased by leaps and
bounds.
To the policy OF protection have stood
committed alike by conviction and by the
platform on which ] was chosen. In sup
port OF that policy ! have stood four
square 10 all the winds that blew, heed
less Of unjust criticism, whether II came
from the standpat element OF the party.
which opposed oil tariff revision, or from
those radicals. fewer in number who
would have had the Executive approve
any tariff measure that lowered the du-
ties, regardless Of the injury IL might In
fiict. or from those insincere critics who
have ruthlessly misrepresented the facts
for their own political gain.
Mr.. Taft describes the railway rate bill
OF his administration as "a logical de-
velopnsnt Of the policy Of the last sd-
ministrRtion. embodied In the Hepburn
act" and declares that the irsincerity OF
the attacks on that measure lis best
demonstrated by the fact that the pro-
vision most bitterly assailed was that
authorizing traffic agreements between
the railroads under the supervision Of
the commission. a recommendation that
had been made by my predecessor in four
separate messages 10 Congress
The policy OF this administration toward
the trusts, Mr.. Taft declares to have
been Arm, consistent and effective" and
he continues:
Great corporations seeking 10 monopo-
lie industry have been dissolved. No dis
CrlfNinaUOn mas been SHOWN 1OWaru IfleUu
or foe. The bitter enInity Of big bust
ness" has been incurred on the one hand,
and the condemnat ton OF those who eN-
pectsd these prosecutions TO destroy In
stead OF regulate business on the other,
but neither has altered the course OF the
administration and the ends achieved
have warranted the sacrifice OF a certain
popular approval. During the seven ana
a half years preceding this administrator
forty-four cases against trusts were insu-
tuted During the less than four years
Of this administration twenty-five civil
suits and forty-five criminal indictments
have been brought under the antitrust
law.
II Is not surprising that the powerful
interests that hitherto have enjoyed i'm
munIty from prosecution should employ
strenuoIs and devious methods 10 create
the impression that these prosecutions are
inerrective on the one hand and certain
TO destroy the prosperity OF the nation
on the other The fact remains that the
law IA now respected and observed. ana
that, whereas IN the past the organization
of trugts designed 20 acquire monopoles
OF the industries In which they wer en-
gagged was an almost daily occurrence,
none has been organized during the 'ast
two years.
Time will demonstrate the source OF the
opposition to my enforcement OF tne anu
trust law. but in the mean time wise men
viii rot be duped by the yituperauve
abuse of those whose monopchsuc amoi- =
lions have been foiled, or by those VINO
are seeking 10 utilize the dissatisfaction
OF the trust makers TO further their own
political ambitions.