Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-07-01
THE ISSUES.

contended that revision of the
tariff meant nothing unless it was
definitely stated whether the re.
vision should be up or down. The
party and the candidate for a time
were silent on that point. AS the
campaign progressed an insistent de.
mand arose for the elucidation OF
that plank. 1t was apparent the rank
and file of the party demanded re.
vision downward and would be salts
fled with nothing less. When it was
sure that the success of the ticket
depended upon a plain official inter-
pretation of the tariff declaration
Mr.. Taft stated in his campaign
speeches that to him revision
meant revision downward. There
upon the rank and file of republicans
acquiesced and advocated the elec-
tion of Mr.. Taft
In the judgment of the writer
there is no question but that Mr..
Taft would have been defeated but
for his timely Interpretation of the
tariff plank. The people took him
at his word and elected him.
The next session of congress took
up the matter of tariff revision and
adopted the Payne-Aldrich tariff bill
1t failed to express the wish of the
party for revision downward-it Of
fered shell instead of a substance
and the progressive republican ele-
ment waited silently in the hope that
Mr.. Taft would veto it. He lacked
courage, or disposition, and approved
the bill.
The national platform declared
that tariff revision should be based
upon the difference between Ameri-
can and European labor plus "a
reasonable profit to American manu-
facturers." The Payne-Aldrich bill
provided, on the wooden schedule, a
tariff of As per cent An investiga-
tion showed that the difference be-
tween American and European wages
In the manufacture of woolen goods
was about Is per cent in favor of the
European manufacturer. The tariff
of As per cent gave to American la
Dor 8 per cent protection and added
to the protection of the manufactur-
er 30 per cent. The American people
believed that the wooden manufac-
turers had grown strong enough to
compete with European manufactur-
ers on profitable terms if protection
enough was afforded them to offset
the difference between the cost of
American and European labor. They
believed that whatever protection
WAS provided for the manufacturer
above that would be levied against
the consumer and be added to the
profits Of the manufacturer, They
considered 80 per cent too much, un-
necessary and unjust.
When Mr.. Taft failed to disap-
prove the bill thousands of republi-
cans concluded that he had gone over
to the feaetionary and privileged
class, and when he declared the
Payne-Aldrich bill the best tariff leg
islation ever adopted, millions of re-
publicans parted from his way.
| eve use the wQolen schedule only
as an eXamplej MANY other schedules
SHOW the same tendency, and many
other issues have arisen, vital, but
which we do not here discGss.)
So the party came to the forks of
the tariff road some two years ago.
Mr.. Taft and his followers stood pat
on the ground of high protection,
while progressive republicans insist
ed that his position was untenable.
In the campaign just closed for
republican presidential nomination
eleven states expressed their senti-
ment through direct preferential
primaries. They cast two million
four hundred thousand republican
votes. Eight hundred thousand of
these We're cast for Mr.. Taft and his
policies and one million six hundred
thousand against him. Thus, wher-
ever the republicans had an oppor-
tunity to express themselves, the ver-
dict was two to one in favor of pro-
gressive principles and expressing
the belief that Mr.. Taft was reac-
tionary
Notwithstanding that, party bosses
forced his nomination by unfair and
crooked methods Through a cor
rupt organization and manipulation
by the national committee-which in
no sense represented the true senti-
ment of the majority, having been
elected four years ago and prior to
the inauguration of those progressive
issues-a majority for progressive
policies and progressive candidate
was inverted into a majority for re-
dictionary policies and Mr.. Taft. This