The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-07
HERBERT A DEMOCRAT
Ex-sEcRETARY1 OF NAVY TALKS
 ABOUT HIS SPEECH.
Favors a Fight on the Tarih-He En- dorses Representative Babcock's Position and Says Democrats Can
 Accept It as an Issue and
 Win in Nexh Campaign.
Washington Post,

| Washington Post.
 Hon. HilarySA. Herbert has returned
 from Montgomery. Ala, where, few days ago, as reported in The Post at the time. he delivered an address be- l fore the State Bar Association advocat- ing honest elections and more inde-
 pendence of political thought and ac- tion in the South. Colonel Herbert some trepidation, but the favorable comment which 1t has created has been very encouraging. T knew I had some friends in the audience" he said yesterday, but I was not prepared for the almost unanimous applause Which greeted my words"
 Only a synopsis of the address was telegraphed North, and even that sym opsis did not present the ideas in the concluding portion of the speech. Con- secuently, MT. Herbert has been &C., cused by some Democrats, among them ex-Congressman Springer, of having become a Republican. Nothing could be further from the truth" he said. My position can be stated very briefly. I do not believe that the Philippine question can be used as a political issue because, 1t seems to me, the per- manent retention of the Philippine sis- lands became a fixed fact when the treaty with Spain was raif1ed and when President Mckinley was reelected. I opposed the ratification of the treaty because did not believe in holding the Philippines, but two-thirds of the Sen- ate thought otherwise. Believing, then. that the Philippines are perma- nently secured, and that the last elec- tion settled that question, do not see the wisdom of threshing over old straw. But in thus accepting the inevitable, do not become Republican. do not even go as far as Senator McLaurin do not uphold subsidies and I am heart and soul against the protective tariff, which is the principle tenet of the Republican faith.''
 Favors a Fight on Tariff.
 In that portion of his speech which was not published in the press dis patches MT. Herbert went very thoroughly into the tariff question. He gives his hearty support to the proposi- ton of Congressman Babcock which would destroy the trusts by the free admission of articles controlled by monopolies.
 T am not against corporations" said Mir Herbert. we cannot afford to de- stroy them. They are the instrument talities, mainly, as said in my speech through which our country has become great and rich. A careful study of the question will show. too. that great cor porations can produce more cheaply and distribute more economically than smaller organizations, and that they can, therefore. if they will do so, sell at lower rates. But as corporations grow in size they grow en power, so that if we would have them enrich us and not rob us, we must control them "
 What is the remedy?" "a
 Many remedies have been suggested, such as laws requiring the utmost pub- licity and compelling fairness to com. petitors and the punishment of officials when convicted of monopolizing or at- tempting to monopolize the market There is, however, one remedy that is undoubtedly legal and that would af- ford great and undoubted relief-the repeal of the tariff on all articles the market for which corporations are seeking to monopolize.''
 Endorses Babcock's Position.
 That is MT. Babcock's plam"
 Yes; and it Is the right one. My indorsement of 1t in my spech was omitted from the telegraphed synopsis.
 
 tariff have never defended 1t upon any | other ground than that a tariff was | necessary to protect American capital | and American labor against cheap foreign labor. But we are invading foreign markets today solely because we can produce more cheaply than the foreigner. The reason for the tariff on | such articles as we are successfully ex- porting is gone. The only result to follow from retaining the tariff will be to enable the American manufacturer to sell at higher prices to his home people than he charges the foreigner. Foreign competition coming from a re- peal of the tariff would be of inestima- ble value to American commerce. It would break up monopolies and give us the benefits of competition. An effort by those who are inter- ssted would bring this relief in single 
 Would you have the campaign ought upon this issue?"
 Yes; and with it we could win. A single idea is enough for any cam oaign. We can anticipate that ,the Republicans will not attempt to enact he Ba&ck bills. for they are tied land and foot to the trusts. There is, however, great popular demand for uch action, and if we. as Democrats. ake up the issue we will be supported y an immense vote"
 New Movement in the South.
 Mir. Herbert says that his plea for onest elections found much favor, and hat his argument for independence of olitical thought, based as 1t was upon tstorical facts, was generally accepted s timely and necessary. He says that ready movement has begun in the outh for the election of conservative allegations to the next Democratic 'ational Convention. and he believes $
 will ha cnncnSsR,,I