1909 William Howard Tafts Inaugural Address.docx

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