Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-11-23
OPPOSED TO REVISION
SPEAKER HENDERSON'S ATTi-
TUDE CLEARLY DEFINED.
He Does Not Think the Time Has Come
to Abandon the Tariff Policy that
Has Wrought Such Splendid Results
in This Country.

The address by Speaker Henderson
at the Republican rally at Manchester,
Iowa, removes all doubt as to the posi-
ton that gentleman will take on the
proposition to revise the tariff at the
coming session of Congress. Eastern
papers have been counting on Mr.. Hen
derson to take advanced grounds on
this subject, even intimating that he
would be found ready to make radical
changes to the end that American ex-
porters might have a more open field
for the exploitation Of their products.
In short, Mr.. Henderson was one of the
men who were expected to advocate
''freer trade
In terms that cannot be miSunder-
stood, the leader of the lower house
announced that he did not interpret the
Buffalo speech of President Mckinley
to mean that the policy of protection
was to be abandoned, or even modified.
He does not believe that one industry,
or one business enterprise, should be
called upon to make sacrifices in order
that another industry or enterprise may
extend it's trade abroad. He believes
that no policy has done SO much as pro-
lection 'for the development of our
country, for the elevation Of labor on
the farm and in the shop as this great
policy" He cannot now see why, hav
ing called back from the brink of ruin
the commercial and industrial interests
nf tho nation hovinOr hi hnI oil
on firm footing, having won the favor
of those who hope to develop a new
South; having, in fact, worked a mir
acle during 4 brief term of five years,
the people of the United States should
now hesitate when the proposition is
presented to them to change their pol
icy for one that has never yet failed
% bring ruin or threat of ruin in it's
wake.
1t may appear strange that many
who have read the address Of the late
President Mckinley, together with
President Roosevelt's speech at Mime
apolis, should have put into the words
of those two leaders meaning that
they did not contain. Both stated in dis
tinct terms that, while using every eff
fort to extend our trade abroad and dis
pose of our surplus product, no industry
| which required protection should be
abandoned. This is the understanding
Speaker Henderson has of these adj
dresses. This is the line upon which
he has pledged the Republican Con-
gress to work so far as his influence
can be made effective.
In discussing this matter, Republi-
cans should remember that in the past
those who have asked for reduction
or a removal of the tariff have had
something to gain where others would
lose. The producer of one State is will
ing that commodities of another State
in which he has no interest should be
put on the free list; or the finished
product Of one industry which is his
raw material he believes to be entitled
to admission without the payment OF
customs duties. In this way, item by
item and industry by industry, the
whole list of dutiable goods, which now
comprises but three-ffths of our impor-
tations, may become subject to attack,
and in the confusion that would follow
the weak would go to the wall.
No man can justly asert that a tar
if schedule can be so perfectly drawn
that it will not require revision from
time to time. But the fact remains
that, whenever it shall become neces-
sary to revise the Dingley law, that re-
vision should be made by protection
lists, and at no time should the principle
f"of protection be lost sight of. In max
ing up his Committee on Ways and
Means, Speaker Henderson has it in
his power to see that the Democratic
minority on that committee cannot, by
uniting with two or three Republicans,
dictate the majority report, and, judg-
ing from his Manchester speech, he
will take measures to that end.-Mil-
waukee Sentinel.