The special congressional session proved, in retrospect, to be a
political disaster for President Taft. In the House of Representatives, the
"Progressive Republicans" (also known as insurgents) defied their party
leadership and tried to unseat the Speaker of the House, "Uncle Joe" Cannon of
Illinois. Cannon was very powerful; believing in a protective tariff, he and his
allies controlled the agenda of the House.
The Senate did not accept the House bill. Senator
Nelson Aldrich of Rhode Island, a dedicated protectionist, arranged for amending the Payne
bill to make the tariff even more protectionist than before. Taft intervened, but
with little success. When both houses accepted the Senate amendments in what was now
the Payne-Aldrich Tariff, Taft signed the law. Americans who expected a dramatic
lowering of tariff duties were disappointed.
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