The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1912-10-30
TAFT DEFENDS
HIS POLICIES
His Trust Attitude Firm, Con,
SlStent and Effective.
OPPOSES POLITICAL NOSTRUMS

Recall Of Judges a Menace to lnde.
pendence of Observation-Disclosures That
Attacks on the Integrity OF His Nomi-
nation Are Baseless and Vicious.
President Taft discusses the issues
OF Ihe present campaign In the Satur-
day Evening Post. He takes his stand
squarply on the issue that with him
rested The responsibility of maintaining
the nigh standard set up in the records
of his party aud of carrying out those
policies of his predecessors which he
declares have made good government
aud Republiranism synonymous.
The greater part OF his argument,
which is the first of three to be writ
ten by the chief candidates for the
presidency. is devoted TO review of
tariff legislation during his admins
lrltlon and to the reasons for opposing
the bills set before him for Il reduction
Oi schedules before they had been in
vestigated by the tariff board.
He says he signed the Payne tariff
bill berause, above all, it provided the
machinery by which alone. in his opin.
ion. just and intelligent revision Of
the tariff could be effected: because 1t
gave the executive power through
maximum and minimum rates to get
proper treatment for American prod
llctS from foreign nationS because 1t
imposed tax ON corporations and
paved the way for government Insight
into their operations: because it pro-
vde1 Il means of collecting revenue
quickly in case of emergency: because
Il granted Il larger measure of justice
to the Fi'ipinos and fnally because 1t
did provide for a material reduction
IN tariff rates, not so much of re-
durtlon iS he would have liked to get.
but aS much aS he believed it 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 SUI
pervision over express companies, tele-
graph. telephone and cable lines, 1t
authorized the institution of investiga-
tionS of rates before formal complaint
had been made. the protection of wa
ter lines from unfair competition and
enacted long and short haul clause
that has proved valuable to many
communities
President Taft asserts that his trust
policy has been firm, consistent and
those business interests which he
knew IL would arouse. He points out
that fOrty-fOur eases 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 two civil suits and forty.tive
criminaI indictments have been
brought
10 what ne styles the nostrums of
the recall of judges and of judicial
opinions the president is firmly oppos.
cd, holding them menace to the inde.
pendpnce of the judiciary
AS we listen to the demagogic or
fatuonS reformers." he says. "let us
not forget that votes are not bread. con.
stitutional amendments are not work,
referrndnms do not pay rent or fur.
niSh homes. recalls do not provide
clothing. initiatives do not supply EN-
ploymcnt 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 amelorate hard
ships we listen In vain"
AS to the Chicago convention the
president declares that no cOnsidera
ton of party veal or personal ambi
ton would tempt him to stand as a
presidential candidate did he not know
that the attacks upon the integrity OF
his nomination are as baseess as they
are vicious.