The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-28
THE DISASTROUS REVISION.

The Smoot organ, in its squirmin &
augmentation with regard to the de-
structive service of the Utah Senators,
quotes President Taft in approval Of
the Aldrich-Payne tariff revision,
claiming that his endorsement also re-
lated to "the extent Of the services
performed by Utah IS Senator'S" when
in fact there Is not ono word refer
ring TO the Utah Senators in the quo
taton or in the endorsement that Pres
ident Taft gave to that revision. 1t is
astonishing, indeed, that the organ will
attempt. to impose upon the public by
such bare-faced, open hypocrisy as
that
II is true that President Taft gave
an endorsement 10 the Aldrich- Payne
tariff revision of 1909. He endorsed it
for party reasons, and because it was
the best he could get at the late time
in which he took an active interest in
the revision. His idea at the first
seemed to be that any. interposition on
his part would not only be an unjust
interference of the executive with the
legislative power, but it seemed that
he colsd hardly conceive that Congress
would deliberately 90 to work in the
wav it did in the revision of the
tariff upward instead Of downward So,
President Taft took what little he
could get, and made the best Of il,
and that is about all that can he said
Of his endorsement Of that tariff revi-
sion.
The summing up of the whole mat.
fer. and the facts plain in every one IS
recollection. arc that the Republican
party was wrecked by that tariff re-
vision that the revision was treach.
erous. unfaithful to pledge, and scorn-
full towards President Taft; that it
turned Congress strongly Republican
IN both branches into Congress even
more strongly Democratic in the
lower house, and disorganizod the
Senate so that it could no longer be
depended upon for Republican party
policies or principles. Two wears
later, in 1912, the party went to pieces
further in continuation Of the crumb-
ling that had begun in 1910. Roose-
welt saw his opportunity to deliver a
mortal political wound to President
Taft. whom, for some reason. he had
come to hate with even more zeal than
be had manifested in his friendship 10.
wards Mr.. Taft before. One calamity
succeeded another. all based upon the
same trcacherous, uufaitbful, partv-
wreckiug tariff revision that was made
in 1909, not only with the concurrence
Of the Utah Senators, but with their
| active, Jealous, vicious, and unvarvipg
support
What we have said. and we rcpeat. is
that men who as party leaders have
shown such destructive qualities. who
have been so wanting in Judgment that
| they would range themselves on tbe
wrong side of a great question like
this, and do this treacherouslv as re.
CARDS the pledge of their party, and
unfaithfully as regards the expecta.
tions Of the people and OF the very
purpose for which the extra session Of
1909 was called, are not ONLY unsafe
party leaders, but the disastrous re-
suits of following their leadership have
been fully proved. Therefore, thev
should no longer be trusted as party
leaders and should be retired because
of their incompetence. And their evil
leadership has been only less disas-
trous IN this State than it was in the
Nation, with the worst yet to come.
We wish 10 suggest further. in this
connection, that it is likely that before
the next Senatorial election in Utah
the Constitutional amendment provid-
ing for the election Of L. s. Senators
| by popular vote will have been rati.
fled by sufficient number of States
TO make il part Of the Constitution.
| TbIrty-ope States have ALREADY rati.
fled. viz: Arizona. Arkansas, Califor-
MIA Colorado. Idaho. Illinois. Indiana,
| Iowa, Kansas. Maine, Massachusetts
Michigan, Minnesota. Missouri, Mon
taua. Nebraska. Nevada. New Hamp.
shire, New York, South Carolina. North
Dakota. Ohio. Oklahoma, Oregon. South
Dakota1 Texas, Vermont, Washington.
West Virginia. Wisconsin, and Wyom.