PRESIDENT TAFT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1235, 18 September 1911, Page 5

PRESIDENT TAFT.

A POLITICAL TOUR OF THE WEST. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Now Yorki September 15. President Taft .is planning a political journey in tho Western States in order to explain his veto of Congressional tariff legislation. MR. TAFT'S LACK OF SUPPORTERS. "Mr. Taft will bo renominated for President." This is the opening sentence from a recent leader in the New York "World," which closes in these words: "Neither Mr. Roosevelt nor anybody else can take the National Convention away from Mr. Taft without Mr. Taft's consent. Mr. Taft's re-election is quite another story." With tho statement and the conclusion (writes Mr. Maurice Low in tho "Morning Post") most people will agree. It is still a year boforo the nomination is made, and a year is time enough for mi\n v v things to happen, especially in American politics, where farno is matte and unmade twelve times twelve in tho course of twelve months'; yet it is reasonably safe to say that Mr. Taft will be nominated, but beyond that no one will venture. It is one of the curious twists of fate that Mr. Taft, who is a man of high ideals and earnestly strives to do what ho believes is for the best interests of tho country, has no great personal following and no large body of real political supporters. When lie entered the White House it was tho belief of tho Conservative element, the great business interests of tho country especially, that ho would do nothing to embarrass business or interfere with the domination of the "Trusts." Instead ho has vigorously prosecuted them, which tho leaders of nigh finance have, naturally resented, and the passage of the law imposing a tax on the earnings of all joint stock companies is extremely unpopular in business circles. Having forfeited the confidence of tho element that was expected to give him the strongest support lie has not been able to attract thi; opposing element, the Radicals. As the Conservatives grew lukewarm the Radicals ought to have become more intense in their partisanship. but Mr. Taft's advocacy of Canadian Reciprocity has lost him tho Western insurgents, who but for that might have been induced to champion his cause. And in this matter 'of Canadian Reciprocity Mr. Taft has alienated both factions. The Conservatives aro mostly high tariff men who aro opposed to Reciprocity because tliey seo in it the first breach in the tariff wall, and if they believo in anything beside tho sacred right to do business in their own way and without the interference of tho Government it is in tho sanctity of,the tariff. The insurgents object to Reciprocity because t.he.v say it is a blow aimed at their agricultural constituents and is solely in the interest of the Eastern manufacturers. As far as tho poles as Radicals are from Conservative 1 !, both arc agreed that Reciprocity will do the Republican party enormous damage in the next Presidential campaign, and that the Democrats alono will profit by Republican mistakes.