Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-03-30
TAFT DESERVES MO SYMPATHY

nave dnONeQ lutH SpdCt mpdt 10 DuuQ them TeRdf1uR
past events At the present time many who are ralyng to the sup
port of President Taft are doing so because they feel that he has been
abused. He is playing on this sympathy for all it is worth and seems
to be getting away with it in a manner very satisfactory to himself.
At the same time, however, he and his followers are winking the
other eye and are highly pleased over their success thus far in at
tempting to hoodwink the people into giving Taft the nomination
after he had betrayed the party in the most boldface manner.
1t was only a year or two ago that the country was outraged
Iby what is now known as "Ballingerism." Taft had selected a man
ests, who are seeking to grab up lands in the west and in Alaska.
Had it not been for the watchful eye of Chief Forester Pnchot at
that time they probably would have been successful. Thanks
to the publicity given the bold steal by Pinchot, aided by such publ
cations as Golfers Weekly, the matter was laid before the people
so forcibly that Taft was eventually compelled to force Balinger
out of his cabinet.
About that time the country became greatly aroused over the
manner in which "Uncle joe Cannon was domineering all legisla.
tion at Washington. Taft became a ready tool to the "standpatters"
and with Aldrich in the senate and Cannon in the House, he fell in
readily with their schemes to block all legislation for the benefit of
the people which would have been carrying out the policies of Theo-
dore Roosevelt, AS TAFT HAD PROMISED TO DO.
The Payne Aldrich tariff, one of the most vicious measures of
Its kind ever enacted by congress, was passed in response to the pub
lie demand for tariff revision downward, but which added greatly to
the duties on many articles and left other important ones as they
were. AS a result of this bold defiance of the popular demand the
people elected by an overwhelming majority a Democratic House. As
soon as this congress convened a bill was introduced cutting down
1.-THE outrageous duties on wooden goods, known is schedule K. The
high duties provided by the PayneAldrich bill had literally taken
the wooden clothing off of the backs of the people. 1t was to afford
some relief that the Democratic House passed the new bill. By form
ing a collation. with the Progressive Republicans in the senate this
bill was eventually passed in the upper house also, but when it
reached President Taft He KILLED 1T WITH HIS VETO. just
what the Payne-Aldrich tariff bill is doing, thanks to President Taft's
protection has been shown recently by the facts that have been furn-
Iished the country in connection with the strike at Lawrence, Mass.
AS if to add insult to injury the President, in one of his speeches
shortly after the Payne-Aldrich bill was enacted, and in spite of the
fact that it violated one of the party pledges to revise the tariff
downward, declared that this was the best tariff ever written.
In his efforts to bring the Progressive Republicans, who were
lighting IN congress for the fulfllment of party pledges, in line and
force them to obey the dictates of Aldrich and his lieutenants, Taft
refused to recognize the Progressiyes in dealing out patronage. One
If the greatest scandals that has ever occurred during a presidency
was the letter sent out from Beverley, Mass last summer when Taft
announced that hereafter he would recognize these Progressive sena-
ItOrS and congressman IL making the amendments il their distric4s
THUS PROVING WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT HE HAD TRIED TO
USE HIS POWER IN OFFICE AS A WHIP TO BRING THE PRO-
GRESSIVES IN LINE FOR THE SPECIAL INTERESTS" Just
as he is now using his power as President to control the various
state conventions in naming delegates pledged to him for a renom-
iinahon.
More recently we have thu. Dr. Wiley case in which the drug
takers and adulterated food manufacturers have been endeayoring
ito havH the chief chemist ousted FROM office. The barefaced attempt
to accomplish this, IN WHICH PRESIDENT TAFT,s ATTORNEY
GENERAL HAD ANIMP0RTANT PART was shown up before the
people by the independent press and such pressure was brought to
bear that the scheme fell through. 1t seems, however. that the agta-
ton was kept up within officials circles ST that eventually DIR. Wiley
had to resign of his own accord and Taft refused to take any action
regarding those who had a hand in forcing this issue. It is signif-
cant that Taft's friends in the senate caused the pigeon-hoing of the
resolution introduced by Senator MARITIME endorsing DR.. Wiley's en-
forcement of the pure food laws and expressing regret at the loss of
his services by the government
Nor is this all. In a speech made in New York before the State
Bar Association a few weeks ago, President Taft declared that
THERE ARE THOSE OF US WHO DO NOT BELIEVE THAT
ALL PEOPLE ARE FITTED FOR POPULAR GOVERNMENT.
THE FACT rs, WE KNOW THEY ARE NOT. SOME OF US DO
mot DARE SAY so, BUT IDo.' Taft later tried to make the pub
lie believe that he had been misquoted in this statement, but the re-
port sent out by the Associated Press and the report in the New York
papers, which published the address the next day, all agree that Taft
did make this most remarkable statement for a President of a Repub-
lie like ours. Later, in trying to explain what he meant by this he de-
clared that he referred to a GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE BY
A REPRESENTATIVE PART OF THE PEOPLE.
Just as an instance, showing how the President is clarifying in
the present scandalous attempt to steal the delegates to the national
convention by fair means or foul, we see him sitting up until midnight
on the night of the primary in New York to listen to the returns and
then, IN the face Of that outrageous steal and deliberate disfranehise-
ment of the people, he called up the leaders in the outrage, Messrs.
Barnes and Koenig, two Republican bosses of the worst stamp, and
congratulated them ON the result. BARNES AND KOENIG ARE
THE REPRESENTATIVE PART OF THE PEoPLE7 WHOM
TAFT WOULD HAVE GOVERN US.
Yet this is the man that many people are now feeling sorry for,
and some are working for his nomination just as if they liked his
style OF government and were willing to endure it for four years
more. We believe that when the rank and file of the Republican
party come to their senses in the present fight they will line up be-
hind Roosevelt and insist that he be the party standard bearer in an
effort to restore the government to the people.