New-York tribune., 1912-04-04
AGAINST HAPHAZARD LAW
Taft CritiCiSes Democratic Ways
of Revising Duties.
From The Tribune Bureau.

WASHINGTON, April 3.-President Taft, in
An address TO the Cotton Manufacturers
Association In the East Room this after
noon, attacked the Democratic haphaZaro
methods in revising the tariff, and Indirect
" charged the Democrats with adopting
"a law on the theory OF the rule OF
thumb. without understanding where IT Is
going to hurt, whom It is going to injure
and whom it is going to help" He urged
the continuance Of the Tariff Board, and
said. among other things:
| have no doubt / am looking on men
here who are fortunate in business VINO
can live through hard times and be com
Portable, Just as they are now, but the peo-
pie who suffer from lack OF prosperity,
who suffer from hard times. are the
wage earners and the poor people IN tne
community. 1t Is they who need prosperity,
I'm order that their children may have
shoes, good meals, live well and be edu-
Gated. D.,
the business Of the government where II
attempts to amend, change or to revise a
law that affects the business OF the coun-
try. and affects II go Intimately that II may
cause disaster to business-it is the duty Of
The government, and by that | include all
branches Of the legislature. the House, the
Senate and the Executive. for he plays
some mart in lcgiSlation-to inform Itself
as 10 what the law II is proposed TO pass
is going to do with business. IL should
know whether II Is going 20 huft business
or not TO adopt law on the thcOry OF
thc rule of thumb, without understanding
where il IL going TO hurt, whom II is going
90 inture and whom It il going TO help. is
TO nv in the face Of Providence and Is not
craftsmanship. :, aa.,..,
chants or cotton manufacturers, and what
we don't know about cotton manufacture
will MI a great many books but there are
noethods of finding out. through other pe0-
pl,. what the exact facts are. III. knowing
IN. facts, you wish to destroy an Industry,
because you think that Industry ought not
to be encouraged or because II COSTS 100
much in the way Of high prices-f you
want to wipe II out, then you should 40
II knowing what you are doing, ana the
Dcople should know what you are DONG
and why you are doing II.
Now. | am making this argument IN FAVOR
of a Tariff Board composed or experts VINO
will give everybody an opportunity 10 pe
heard and then Will make up lts inild az
an independent quasi-mdlcial tribunal ana
wake its report to Congress so that II may
understand matters. That Is what | FAVOR,
and ] hope you do 7 hope II strikes the
business men a useful thinB 10 kho"
where you are going TO put your 10ot oe,
fcrc Won nut II down, in order to calculate
what the effect may be-. ,.
II ia said by some "Wby, IL Is only TOT
the purpose of raising revenue anyhoW, ~
ia not 10 be directed 20 helping along art
fcially any industry II this theory Is uitI, y
mately passed upon" II is easy enough W
.rtta a law of that sort That IL the sim
plest Mfaot kind =" OF a law to write. but II you
are going TO treat the Industries that exist
with a cherishing hand so that they may
continue to exist. and YOU believe IN ui'eIs
fed industrIes in order that we may nave
tris nonntry able TO meet every require
ment men within the country itself-in other other
words, If you are In favor OF prooe't,re 0o' are
going 10 do when you come TO revise me
tariff, and YOU ought not to go about the
work with blacksmith's tools and MT mere
and hit there without understanding """'