The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-23
TAFT DEFENDS
: HIS POLICIES
His Trust Attitude Firm, Con.
SlStent and Effective.
OPPOSES POLITICAL NOSTRUMS

Recall Of Judges Menace to lnde-
pendepce Of Judioiary-Deelares That
Attacks on the Integrity Of His Nomi-
nation Are 6sseless and Vicious.
President Taft discusses the issues
of the present campaign In the Satur-
day Evening Post He takes his stand
squarely on the issue that with him
rested the responsibility Of maintaining
the high standard set up in the records
of his party and OF carrying out those
policies OF his predecessors which he
declares have made good government
and Republicanism synonymous.
The greater part Of his argument,
ten by the chief candidates for the
presidency, is devoted to review OF
tariff legislation during his admins
tration and to the reasons for opposing
the bills set before him for reduction
of schedules before they had been in
vesugated by the tariff board.
He says he signed the Payne tariff
bill because, above all, 1t provided the
machinery by which alone, in his opin-
ion, a just and intelligent revision of
the tariff could be effected; because it
gave the executive power through
maximum and minimum rates to get
proper treatment for American prod
ucts from foreign nations; because 1t
imposed tax on corporations and
paved the way for government insight
into their operations; because 1t pro-
vided a means Of collecting revenue
quickly in case Of emergency; because
it granted a larger measure Of justice
to the FilipiDos apd finally because 1t
did provide for a material reduction
in tariff rates, not so much of re-
duction as he would have liked to get,
but as much as he believed 1t was
possible to obtain without the ma
chinery of the tariff board which the
law created. He disapproved Of the
tariff bills since passed because he saw
in them menace to the American
workman.
Coming to those measures Of his ad-
ministration which have been passed
in the interests Of social justice, the
president sets down first the railway
rate bill. which he describes as the
logical development Of the policy en-
bodied In the Hepburn act. 1t gave
authority to the interstate commerce
commission in many details that had
been lacking and added powers of su-
pervision over express companies, tele-
graph, telephone and cable lines. 1t
authorized the institution of investiga-
tons of rates before formal complaint
had been made, the protection Of wa
ter lines from unfair competition and
enacted a long and short haul clause
that has proved valuable to many
communities.
President Taft asserts that his trust
policy has been firm, consistent and
effective in spite of the enmity Of
those business interests which he
knew it would arouse. He points out
that forty-four cases against trusts
were instituted during the seven and
one-half years that Mr.. Roosevelt was
president while during the less than
four years OF his own administration
twenty-five civil suits and forty-nve
criminal indictments have been
brought.
To what he styles the nostrums of
the recall of judges and of judicial
opinions the president is firmly oppos-
ed, holding them a menace to the inde-
pendence of the judiciary.
"As we listen to the demagogic or
fatuous reformers," he says, '1et us
not forget that votes are not bread, con-
stitutional amendments are not work
referendums do not pay rent or fur
nish homes, recalls do not provide
clothing, initiatives do not supply en-
ployment or relieve inequality Of con
dition or opportunity. For any def
mite plans from those who advocate
innovations which will promote equali-
ty of opportunity and ameliorate hard
ships we listen in vain"
AS to the Chicago convention, the
president declares that no considera-
ton Of party veal or personal ambi-
tion would tempt him to stand as a
presidential candidate did he not know
that the attacks upon the integrity Of
his nomination are as baseless as they
are vicious.