Taft alienated a significant faction of liberal Republicans, who later went on to establish the Progressive Party, by his staunch defense of the Payne-Aldrich Act. This legislation, which was initially intended to lower tariffs, ended up preserving high tariff rates that many reform-minded Republicans opposed. Taft's support for the Act not only frustrated these party members but also highlighted a widening rift within the Republican Party between traditional conservatives and those advocating for progressive reform.