Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-19
LACEY ON me TARIFF
Sixth District Congressman
Counsels Moderationin Deal
ing With the Tariff.
General Reform Of the Tariff
Laws Would Create Appre.
hension-..Other Issues.
Value Of Hawaii and Philippines
in Developing Export
Trade. :
,ial to Times-Republican.

against hasty or radical action. Major
Lacey said:
"Our democratic brethren made the
mistake of attacking the tariff in 1892.
They won it; having won upon this issue
once they have fondly renewed it ever
since in commemoration of that victory
which cost them and the country SO
dear.
"Those gentlemen who are catching SO
eagerly at President McKinley's, last
sreech in which he talked in favor OF
lreciprocity. and which they treat as
declaration against the protective sys-
tenn, have not read that address with
much care. He does not abate one jot
or title of his faith in the protective
policy. In my. judgment there is no surer
method of unsettling affairs, bringing
about industrial depression and hard
times than to revive the agitation in IA
yor of a thorough overhauling OF our
tariff system Carefully considered reci-
procity treaties may prove useful II we
do not give too much for the benefits
that we receive.
THE Dingley act is only four years
old. can imagine nothing more detri-
mental to the interests of this country
than to unsettle industrial conditions by
announcing general revision: OF our
tariff system.
"Our democratic opponents have been
insisting that the tariff is the mother OF
|sthe trusts, That this is not true is cas-
.ly demonstrated by the well-known tact
that two of the greatest trusts in tbs
country are in articles that are upon th.
free list. The anthracite coal trust and
the coal oil trust both control the artt-
c,es that have no tariff protection. me
necessity of dealing with this trust
question by some direct action has long
been conceded by all good lawyers IN
this country. Almost every state IN the
union has adopted rigid and severe
anti-trust law. so that question has NOT
been a party one heretofore. Whatever
nv have been said about 1t on the
stump.
.Recosnizing the disadvantages OF
dealing with this question by state leg
islat!on alone. In the last congress an at
tempt was made to amend the constitu-
ton so as to give the federal government
power to control this subject. It had
been the intention Of our democratic OPP
ponents In the campaign Of 1900 to dwell
very especially upon this question, but
when the proposed amendment OF the
constitution was voted upon every DEM
ocrat and populist in congress Noteo
against it except four: Scudder OF New
York. Naphen of Massachusetts, New
lands of Nevada and Sibley of Pennsyl-
vanla. OF these four who voted with the
ren,,hlicans in favor Of constitutional
nroyision, authorizing congress to con-
troll the trusts, Mr.. Sibley has become
rennblican. leaving only three democrats
voting with the republicans upon TINS
proposition.
"The formation Of the ice trust IN the
state of New York by the Tammany OF
| ftce-holders was exposed about tne same
time that the trust amendment 20 'ne
constitution was voted upon In congress.
The result was that we did not hear
very much of the trust question IN tue
\ discussion in the last campaign.
..T,rusts are not peculiar to the Unlteo
| States alone Let me give you an Illus
ara tion of a few of those that have been
4 esta blished in Europe, including those IN
creat Britain, where free trade prevails
1 The list is a long one, but Will give
you samples.
(Here Major Lacey read long list o1
i the trusts existing in other countries.o
"Expansion was great issue IN thS
campaign of 1900. The taking OF the
4 Philippines and Porto Rico was de
4 nounced in terms of great ABUSE. a:
President Mckinley was called "a tyrant
i en- emperor. a despot and such variet,
OF epithets was heaped upon him that i
Us hard now to realize how little wa'
meant by those who INDUCED in this ex,
u cess of Interpretation. Let US hope tina
ont of the sorrow that is now so univer
sal NAV grow up an enduring protes
i against the abuse to which public OH
i Gals have been so long subject.
4 "Washington and Jefferson endured Y
in their day, and Lincoln was propapIS
i the worst maligned of them all.
i .But to return to the subject OF ex'
Il ransion. The expansion OF this country
was not a purpose of the Spanish war
/ On the contrary, congress at the Very
beginning dIsclaimed any intention t
acquire or hold the island of Cuba, ant
I. voluntarily resolved that as soon as ;
4 stable government could be establishe,
i that we would withdraw from tn
island.
CUBA was the only part of the Span
. ish possessions that the United State
, had ever sought. Buchanan wanted t
buy it for s1oo,ooo.0O0. Jefferson was op
posed to the annexation of any insula
J territory, but said that Cuba was s.
2 near so accessible and so desirable tina
he made an exception in favor of the &C
nuisition of this particular island.
, and so when we entered upon tn
war we highly resolved to refrain from
the annexation of this long-covete'
piece of real estate.
lit was not deemed necessary to pas
: cny such resolution as to Porto Rico o
4 the Philippines. No one thought of thei
annexation. But in war 1t is the unex
! pected that happens.
1T is easy to start war, but no on
. can ever foresee the responsibilities tina
may result. To carry our arms to tn
Lttermost parts of the earth, whereve
our enemy might be found was one
! the necessary consequences of the decla
ration OF war. And so it happened tina
when peace came we found ourselves
possession of fourteen hundred fsiand
the very names Of which were unknow