The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-11-05
TAFT MAKES HIS
LAST APPEAL
TO VOTERS
Points to Progress Made Dur
ing His Administration
REDUCED EXCESSIVE TARIFF
Republican Party Has Carried Out
Its Promises and Should Be Re-
tanned in Power.

before departing for Cincinnati last
night issued a final appeal to the
voters of the country to support him.
If the economic views of the Demo
cratic Party were put into force, he
said, it would mean the hating of
prosperity and the paralyZing OF
business, as well as bringing a return
of the experience the country went
through from 1898 to 1897. This is
his statement:
ION tn eve of the National election
it is suitable that a short summary
should be made of the reasons why
the Republican Party is entitled TO
support. That party for four years
has been responsible for the admin
istration of the Government, and has
left record of success in effective
and efficient executive administration
and of legislative accomplishment
that is not surpassed by any admin
stration since the war. 1t has chang
ed a deficit of more than $50,000,00O
to surplus of more than $30,000,000
by increasing the revenue and reduc-
ing governmental expenses.
Its achievements in legislation
show that it has made definite pro-
gress so far as National legislation
can produce progress, in statutes
looking to the aid and relief of those
classes in the community who have
had reasons heretofore TO complain
of the unjust operation of the laws
governing their relation TO employers
apd m ha nit Of Tho
modern tendency to use government
tai agencies to better the general con
dition Of the people by giving an
equal opportunity to all has been full
ly recognized in this legislation, and
practical steps have been taken to
satisfy it.
THE Republican Tariff legislation
of the Congress of 1909, while not
perfect, has actually reduced excess
sive tariff rates and has yet retained
the protective features which have
been so instrumental in creating in
dustrial prosperity. And this Admin
istration had already taken steps to
secure a fair means, by tariff COM
mission, of further reducing and re-
adjusting the tariff within the limits
VI piODCl piOlCCliOL " OuI
The antitrust laws upon the statute
books have been enforced without re
gard to persons and without fear or
favor, and the resulting DEGREES, II
allowed to have their normal opera
ton will tend to restore competition
and will remove the oppression that
the statute was passed to prevent.
I'm this view of what has been
done in the last four years, the Re
publican Party should not now be
| turned out of office. Its promises have
been complied with, real progress has
been effected, and its conduct of the
economic policies of the Government
has been such as to make il possible
for the country to enjoy and prolong
the widespread and growing prosperi-
ty now at hand.
Again, if the Republican Party is
turned out of office. what party is to
succeed? One Of the opposing par
ties was scarcely four months ago
part of the Republican party itself.
1t has adopted a platform attacking
the existing Constitution of the coun-
try, promising an attempt to desll oy
the independence of the judiciary and
proposing measures which would sap
the foundations of representative
democratic constitutional govern
ment. 1t offers TO the public a pro-
gram of supposed benefits which are
not within the ability of a National
party to accomplish, and offers rem
edies for alleged evils in our present
conditions that are impracticable and
inconsistent with each other. The
so-called Progressive Party is neces-
sarily minority party A vote for
IL cannot tend to establish its power
or its principles. but can only be a
vote against the Republican Party
and for the Democratic Party.
THE Democratic Party declares in
favor of tariff for revenue only.
and holds that a protective tariff is
not only unwise but also unconsti-
tutional The changes proposed by
the Democrats may fairly be Judged
by the bills passed by the Democratic
majority in the last Congress which
vetoed as President. These bills
would so have affected the industries
covered by their terms as seriously to
impair their value and prosperity.
Mr.. Wilson, the candidate of the Dem |
ocratic Party, has made so many diff |
ferent and differing statements as to |
his attitude upon the tariff with a
view to evading the charge that a
Democratic Administration means an /
injury to industrial prosperity, that
1t is impossible to tell what his at
tude is, but it is not unfair to say
that it is in accord with that of the
majority of his party in the last
Congress which | have indicated.
The experience in the history of
the country in 1893 and 1894 will be
recalled when a period of great pros
perity was succeeded by a period of
great depression in the business of
our country. This was due to the
threatened and actual change from a
tariff for protection TO a tariff for i
revenue. IL ought to warn every /
business man, every workman. and /
every farmer who counts upon the i
home market for the sale Of his pro i
ducts TO cast his vote to retain the /
present Administration and to defeat /
the effort to put into force the econ
omic views of the Democratic Party |
which, il successful, win halt the com |
ing Of prosperity, paralyze business. /
and repeat the severe experience of |
the years from 1888 to 1897. The
country should not be plunged from a
condition Of business certainty and