The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-05-30
Will Continue to Execute Law
against Trusts as Law is
a Good One.
TO FIGHT FOR PEACE
Treaties and to Depend upon
the People for Approval
of His Tariff Action.

NEW YORK, May 25.-"What I am
Trying to Do"-an article by Presl-
dent Taft-appears in the current
issue of the Worlds Work and deals
with tarlff revision. business pros
perity, arbitration and independence
of the judiciary. The president as
serts that he is willing to go before
the people for verdict on his vote
of the three tariff bills passed by the
House in extraordinary session last
year; that no charge yet made against
! him has gone nearer to his heart
than that he, by enforcing the anti
trust law, was hurting business; that
he intends, so long as he can raise
his voice, to continue to favor gem
eral arbitration and that the Re-
publican party would lose caste as a
defender of American civilization
should 1t take up the judicial recall
as one of its tenets.
4 In part, the presidents article
follows:
y was elected president of the
/ United States on the Republican plat
form Of 1908. The party declared IN
that platform that in all tariff leg
islation the true principle of protec-
tion is best maintained by the ires
position of such duties as will equal
the difference between cost OF pro-
duction at home and abroad The
party went before the people on that
issue and was sustained.
Our Democratic brethten: have de-
parted from the faith ON tariff
board which majority of them once
embraced, and, in the extraordinary
session of last year, they passed three
tariff bills without the aid of infor-
nation from a tariff board, drawn
in such an unsc!entific, unsystematic,
and reckless way thatI did not hest
tate to veto them, in order that they
might await the coming Of the report
by the tariff board upon schedule K
wool and woolens, which one tariff
bill affected, and upon cotton and cot
ton manufactures, which another tar
If bill affected. We should be- entire.
ly willing to go before the country
and invite verdict OF the people.
mo charge has been made against
me that went nearer to. my heart
than the charge thataI, by the. en-
forcement Of the antitrust law, was
iniuring the business of the country,
l enforced 1t so far as lay in my
power and duty because 1t Is on the
statute book. enforced 1t because
believe it to sbe good law, and
believe 1t when properly construed
to make right guide for business. 1
believe that by the construction OF
the courts Of the laws that are on the
statute books, and by decisions that
are yet to come, the line may closely
be drawn 80 that business may
square itself to those boundaries
winch the law fixes.
u should deprecate the suggestion
of any so-called reform that involves
constitutional changes, without our
knowing exactly what we are going
to do and what the effect Of these
changes will be. What would de-
precate is the sudden suggestion of
amendments for this end, and amend
ments for that, and having amend
ments for breakfast the next morning
as II the amendment of the funda-
mental law were nothing but. the
repeal of an ordinary statute or the
passage of an ordinary appropriation
bill.
There is one other subject which
is a rather tender one with me. / am.
convinced that most of the audiences
l had the privilege of addressing
within the last year were in favor OF
passing and ratifying the peace
treaties just as they were presented
to Congress.
4 give notice that have not lost
Interest in that point and have NO
thought of surrenderlng, because
intend, so far as l can and. SO long
as ! may raise my voice. to continue
to favor general universal arbitration
/ acknowledge and admit the power
OF the Senate, and believe it to be :
great part Of the structure of our
government, and would not have I,
eliminated for anything. recognize
the authority of the Senate and have
no quarrel with the exercise of thai
authority, but the ultimate source o
all authority in this government IL
the people. 1t is the people who. b,
deliberate judgment can effect a re-.
form which commends itself to their
hearts and their souls and thel,
mindss and 1t is upon them that /