When WILLIAM MCKINLEY was president, Congress passed the Dingley Tariff Act. It gave the country very high import duties. In 1909, President Taft called a special congressional session. He wanted to reduce the duties. Congress passed the Payne-Aldrich Tariff bill. But it actually increased duties on most imported goods.
Taft signed the Payne-Aldrich bill. It cost him support in the South and Midwest. (Both areas wanted low duties.) To make matters worst, Taft visited the Midwest. While he was there, Taft called Payne-Aldrich "the best tariff bill... [ever] passed." The president suddenly became very unpopular in the Midwest.
Conservation
President Taft was a conservationist. He authorized the Bureau of Mines to supervise the nation's mineral resources. He also approved the federal purchase of timberlands in Appalachia. In addition, he kept oil and coal lands under federal control.
As president, Taft's approach to conservation differed from THEODORE ROOSEVELT's. Roosevelt made his own conservation policies. He used executive orders to implement them. By contrast, Taft allowed Congress to make conservation policy. Ultimately, Taft's approach proved more effective. He built broad support in Congress for natural resource conservation.
Monopolies
President Taft inherited several federal antitrust suits from President THEODORE ROOSEVELT's administration. The suits were filed against business monopolies. The federal government based them on the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. (The act dated from BENJAMIN HARRISON's administration.)
Taft disliked the Sherman Act. He believed it was too vague. He proposed changing the way corporations are incorporated. They had always been chartered and regulated by the states. Taft wanted the federal government to charter corporations. Then they could no longer be sued for violating the antitrust law. Congress refused to adopt Taft's proposals. The antitrust law was not changed. Taft decided to enforce it vigorously. In four years, the Taft administration filed 75 antitrust suits.
In 1911, Taft approved the most controversial suit. The federal government sued U.S. Steel Corporation. The administration claimed the company was an illegal monopoly. President THEODORE ROOSEVELT had personally approved the U.S. Steel monopoly. Taft's actions put the former president on the spot. Roosevelt's judgment was called into question. He had to testify in court. (Former presidents can be forced to testify once they leave office.) Roosevelt never forgave Taft for embarrassing him.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
In 1910, President Taft signed the Mann-Elkins Act. It gave more authority to the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). Among other things, the ICC was allowed to prevent rate increases by some transportation companies. It was also authorized to regulate telegraph and telephone companies.
Government Reform
President Taft disliked waste and inefficiency in government. In 1909, he reorganized the State Department. He also divided Commerce and Labor into separate executive departments. In 1911, he created a commission to recommend ways to reduce waste in the federal government. The commission issued 110 reports. It recommended certain reforms. Congress never approved most of them.
International Arbitration
President Taft wanted countries to resolve their disputes through international arbitration. Arbitration allows parties involved in a dispute to present their case to a neutral panel. The parties are bound to accept the panel's decision. When countries are involved in a dispute, arbitration can be a peaceful alternative to war.
In 1911, Taft presented two treaties to the Senate. They obligated the United States to submit its disputes with Britain and France to international arbitration. Unfortunately, the treaties did not exclude disputes involving "national honor." The Senate rewrote the treaties before it would ratify them. Taft was embarrassed by the episode.
Canada
President Taft wanted U.S. companies to have greater access to markets in other American countries. In 1910, he approved a trade agreement with Canada. The agreement was approved by the U.S. Congress. But it died in the Canadian Parliament.
The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives killed the trade agreement. He offended Canadians. He said publicly that he wanted "the American flag... [to] float over every square foot" of Canada. Taft tried to placate the Canadians. But he could not soothe their ruffled feathers.
Dollar Diplomacy
President Taft was an internationalist. He wanted U.S. citizens to invest in countries around the world. Taft said his policy was one of substituting "dollars for bullets." He believed more U.S. foreign investment would guarantee political stability in the world. He also wanted to increase the profits of U.S. companies.
Taft tried to send "dollars" to Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Colombia refused a $25 million loan. Other U.S. investments in Central America were not always safe. Civil disorders broke out in Nicaragua and Honduras. In 1912, Taft dispatched U.S. troops to Central America to protect U.S. lives and property. For the most part, "dollar diplomacy" failed. It also created ill-will toward the United States in Latin America.
China
President Taft was eager for the United States to gain a foothold in the Far East. He advocated an "open-door" policy in China. (The "open door" would have given all nations equal access to commerce in China.) As a first step, Taft wanted U.S. bankers to buyout Japanese and Russian investments in China's railroads. In 1909, a U.S. investment group was created to finance the buyout. The group eventually folded.
The Europeans and Japanese blocked the U.S. buyout of China's railroads. They believed the United States wanted to monopolize Chinese commerce. President Taft supported other U.S. ventures in China. But most of them also failed. China was already a chaotic place. In 1912, the Manchu dynasty fell. It had ruled China for 300 years. The Europeans and Japanese protected their interests in China.
Constitutional Amendment
Taft was president when the states ratified the Sixteenth Amendment. It authorized the federal income tax. It passed Congress on July 12, 1909. It was ratified by the states on February 25, 1913.
WILLIAM TAFT AND HIS TIMES
Taft's Inauguration
Taft's inauguration was held on March 4, 1909. Mrs. Taft was the first "first lady" to ride in the car with the president-elect to the swearing-in ceremony. Taft's inaugural address was notable for its appeal to the public's sense of justice. The new president called for an end to hostility toward immigrants and ethnic minorities.
Taft the Very Large President
Taft was a very large man. He stood more than 6-feet tall. When he was inaugurated in 1909, Taft weighed 332 pounds.
The 48 States
Arizona and New Mexico were admitted to the Union in 1912. Thus, Taft became the first U.S. president to preside over 48 contiguous states.
Taft the Supreme Chief Justice
Taft is the only U.S. president who was also chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He left the presidency in 1913. President WARREN HARDING appointed him chief justice in 1921. Taft resigned from the court in 1930.
Arlington National Cemetery
Other than JOHN KENNEDY, Taft is the only former U.S. president buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Helen Taft is the only first lady buried at Arlington. The Tafts' graves are located near the grave of Robert Todd Lincoln. (Robert Lincoln was ABRAHAM LINCOLN's son.)
Arlington National Cemetery is located on the Potomac River in Arlington (Fort Myer), Virginia. The land originally belonged to GEORGE WASHINGTON's adopted son, George Washington Custis. It was later owned by General Robert E. Lee. Arlington was designated as a national cemetery in 1864.
