1909 William Howard Tafts Inaugural Address.docx
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1909 William Howard Tafts Inaugural Address.docx
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1909WilliamHowardTaftsInauguralAddress
InauguralAddressofWilliamHowardTaft
THURSDAY,MARCH4,1909
MyFellow-Citizens:
AnyonewhohastakentheoathIhavejusttakenmustfeelaheavyweightofresponsibility.Ifnot,hehasnoconceptionofthepowersanddutiesoftheofficeuponwhichheisabouttoenter,orheislackinginapropersenseoftheobligationwhichtheoathimposes.
Theofficeofaninauguraladdressistogiveasummaryoutlineofthemainpoliciesofthenewadministration,sofarastheycanbeanticipated.Ihavehadthehonortobeoneoftheadvisersofmydistinguishedpredecessor,and,assuch,toholduphishandsinthereformshehasinitiated.Ishouldbeuntruetomyself,tomypromises,andtothedeclarationsofthepartyplatformuponwhichIwaselectedtooffice,ifIdidnotmakethemaintenanceandenforcementofthosereformsamostimportantfeatureofmyadministration.Theyweredirectedtothesuppressionofthelawlessnessandabusesofpowerofthegreatcombinationsofcapitalinvestedinrailroadsandinindustrialenterprisescarryingoninterstatecommerce.Thestepswhichmypredecessortookandthelegislationpassedonhisrecommendationhaveaccomplishedmuch,havecausedageneralhaltintheviciouspolicieswhichcreatedpopularalarm,andhavebroughtaboutinthebusinessaffectedamuchhigherregardforexistinglaw.
Torenderthereformslasting,however,andtosecureatthesametimefreedomfromalarmonthepartofthosepursuingproperandprogressivebusinessmethods,furtherlegislativeandexecutiveactionareneeded.Reliefoftherailroadsfromcertainrestrictionsoftheantitrustlawhavebeenurgedbymypredecessorandwillbeurgedbyme.Ontheotherhand,theadministrationispledgedtolegislationlookingtoaproperfederalsupervisionandrestrictiontopreventexcessiveissuesofbondsandstockbycompaniesowningandoperatinginterstatecommercerailroads.
Then,too,areorganizationoftheDepartmentofJustice,oftheBureauofCorporationsintheDepartmentofCommerceandLabor,andoftheInterstateCommerceCommission,lookingtoeffectivecooperationoftheseagencies,isneededtosecureamorerapidandcertainenforcementofthelawsaffectinginterstaterailroadsandindustrialcombinations.
IhopetobeabletosubmitatthefirstregularsessionoftheincomingCongress,inDecembernext,definitesuggestionsinrespecttotheneededamendmentstotheantitrustandtheinterstatecommercelawandthechangesrequiredintheexecutivedepartmentsconcernedintheirenforcement.
ItisbelievedthatwiththechangestoberecommendedAmericanbusinesscanbeassuredofthatmeasureofstabilityandcertaintyinrespecttothosethingsthatmaybedoneandthosethatareprohibitedwhichisessentialtothelifeandgrowthofallbusiness.Suchaplanmustincludetherightofthepeopletoavailthemselvesofthosemethodsofcombiningcapitalandeffortdeemednecessarytoreachthehighestdegreeofeconomicefficiency,atthesametimedifferentiatingbetweencombinationsbaseduponlegitimateeconomicreasonsandthoseformedwiththeintentofcreatingmonopoliesandartificiallycontrollingprices.
Theworkofformulatingintopracticalshapesuchchangesiscreativewordofthehighestorder,andrequiresallthedeliberationpossibleintheinterval.Ibelievethattheamendmentstobeproposedarejustasnecessaryintheprotectionoflegitimatebusinessasintheclinchingofthereformswhichproperlybearthenameofmypredecessor.
Amatterofmostpressingimportanceistherevisionofthetariff.InaccordancewiththepromisesoftheplatformuponwhichIwaselected,IshallcallCongressintoextrasessiontomeetonthe15thdayofMarch,inorderthatconsiderationmaybeatoncegiventoabillrevisingtheDingleyAct.Thisshouldsecureanadequaterevenueandadjustthedutiesinsuchamannerastoaffordtolaborandtoallindustriesinthiscountry,whetherofthefarm,mineorfactory,protectionbytariffequaltothedifferencebetweenthecostofproductionabroadandthecostofproductionhere,andhaveaprovisionwhichshallputintoforce,uponexecutivedeterminationofcertainfacts,ahigherormaximumtariffagainstthosecountrieswhosetradepolicytowardusequitablyrequiressuchdiscrimination.ItisthoughtthattherehasbeensuchachangeinconditionssincetheenactmentoftheDingleyAct,draftedonasimilarlyprotectiveprinciple,thatthemeasureofthetariffabovestatedwillpermitthereductionofratesincertainschedulesandwillrequiretheadvancementoffew,ifany.
Theproposaltorevisethetariffmadeinsuchanauthoritativewayastoleadthebusinesscommunitytocountuponitnecessarilyhaltsallthosebranchesofbusinessdirectlyaffected;andasthesearemostimportant,itdisturbsthewholebusinessofthecountry.Itisimperativelynecessary,therefore,thatatariffbillbedrawningoodfaithinaccordancewithpromisesmadebeforetheelectionbythepartyinpower,andaspromptlypassedasdueconsiderationwillpermit.Itisnotthatthetariffismoreimportantinthelongrunthantheperfectingofthereformsinrespecttoantitrustlegislationandinterstatecommerceregulation,buttheneedforactionwhentherevisionofthetariffhasbeendetermineduponismoreimmediatetoavoidembarrassmentofbusiness.Tosecuretheneededspeedinthepassageofthetariffbill,itwouldseemwisetoattemptnootherlegislationattheextrasession.Iventurethisasasuggestiononly,forthecoursetobetakenbyCongress,uponthecalloftheExecutive,iswhollywithinitsdiscretion.
Inthemailingofatariffbilltheprimemotiveistaxationandthesecuringtherebyofarevenue.Duelargelytothebusinessdepressionwhichfollowedthefinancialpanicof1907,therevenuefromcustomsandothersourceshasdecreasedtosuchanextentthattheexpendituresforthecurrentfiscalyearwillexceedthereceiptsby$100,000,000.Itisimperativethatsuchadeficitshallnotcontinue,andtheframersofthetariffbillmust,ofcourse,haveinmindthetotalrevenueslikelytobeproducedbyitandsoarrangethedutiesastosecureanadequateincome.Shoulditbeimpossibletodosobyimportduties,newkindsoftaxationmustbeadopted,andamongtheseIrecommendagraduatedinheritancetaxascorrectinprincipleandascertainandeasyofcollection.
TheobligationonthepartofthoseresponsiblefortheexpendituresmadetocarryontheGovernment,tobeaseconomicalaspossible,andtomaketheburdenoftaxationaslightaspossible,isplain,andshouldbeaffirmedineverydeclarationofgovernmentpolicy.Thisisespeciallytruewhenwearefacetofacewithaheavydeficit.ButwhenthedesiretowinthepopularapprovalleadstothecuttingoffofexpendituresreallyneededtomaketheGovernmenteffectiveandtoenableittoaccomplishitsproperobjects,theresultisasmuchtobecondemnedasthewasteofgovernmentfundsinunnecessaryexpenditure.Thescopeofamoderngovernmentinwhatitcanandoughttoaccomplishforitspeoplehasbeenwidenedfarbeyondtheprincipleslaiddownbytheold"laissezfaire"schoolofpoliticalwriters,andthiswideninghasmetpopularapproval.
IntheDepartmentofAgriculturetheuseofscientificexperimentsonalargescaleandthespreadofinformationderivedfromthemfortheimprovementofgeneralagriculturemustgoon.
TheimportanceofsupervisingbusinessofgreatrailwaysandindustrialcombinationsandthenecessaryinvestigationandprosecutionofunlawfulbusinessmethodsareanothernecessarytaxuponGovernmentwhichdidnotexisthalfacenturyago.
Theputtingintoforceoflawswhichshallsecuretheconservationofourresources,sofarastheymaybewithinthejurisdictionoftheFederalGovernment,includingthemostimportantworkofsavingandrestoringourforestsandthegreatimprovementofwaterways,areallpropergovernmentfunctionswhichmustinvolvelargeexpenditureifproperlyperformed.Whilesomeofthem,likethereclamationofandlands,aremadetopayforthemselves,othersareofsuchanindirectbenefitthatthiscannotbeexpectedofthem.Apermanentimprovement,likethePanamaCanal,shouldbetreatedasadistinctenterprise,andshouldbepaidforbytheproceedsofbonds,theissueofwhichwilldistributeitscostbetweenthepresentandfuturegenerationsinaccordancewiththebenefitsderived.ItmaywellbesubmittedtotheseriousconsiderationofCongresswhetherthedeepeningandcontrolofthechannelofagreatriversystem,likethatoftheOhiooroftheMississippi,whendefiniteandpracticalplansfortheenterprisehavebeenapprovedanddeterminedupon,shouldnotbeprovidedforinthesameway.
Then,too,thereareexpendituresofGovernmentabsolutelynecessaryifourcountryistomaintainitsproperplaceamongthenationsoftheworld,andistoexerciseitsproperinfluenceindefenseofitsowntradeinterestsinthemaintenanceoftraditionalAmericanpolicyagainstthecolonizationofEuropeanmonarchiesinthishemisphere,andinthepromotionofpeaceandinternationalmorality.Irefertothecostofmaintainingaproperarmy,apropernavy,andsuitablefortificationsuponthemainlandoftheUnitedStatesandinitsdependencies.
Weshouldhaveanarmysoorganizedandsoofficeredastobecapableintimeofemergency,incooperationwiththenationalmilitiaandundertheprovisionsofapropernationalvolunteerlaw,rapidlytoexpandintoaforcesufficienttoresistallprobableinvasionfromabroadandtofurnisharespectableexpeditionaryforceifnecessaryinthemaintenanceofourtraditionalAmericanpolicywhichbearsthename
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