The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-10
DUTIES NOT SACRED D
Many Industries Can Be Aided by a
Carefully Made Revision,
/. Says Allison.
Democracy a 0ne-Remedy. Party and
That of No Eficacy-Trust'
Legislation.

Mason City. Iowa, Oct. Ex-senator Alli-
son spoke here last night, beginning the
republican campaign. He was greeted by
a large audience. He took occasion to in
dorse the president for what he had done
toward ending the coal strike, and said in
part: |
I: believe that many of the existing rates |
of duty can be changed through reciprocal treat |
les that would enlarge foreign markets and |
thereby Increase the opportunities for increased |
production at home giving larger employment
to labor.
Last year expressed my own views as to
reciprocity. and will not enlarge upon repeat
them now. l believe also that changes should
be made, because of changed conditions, redu- |
cling the duties various articles so to aid
many industries without impairing the principle
of protection respects any industry and that
a careful investigation of certain schedules Of the
tariff could proftably be entered upon with that
end in view. q. - : ID.
If reasonable and needed changes are to be
made, they must be made by the republican
party. Should the democrats secure a majority
in the next house, it will be impossible for them
to accomplish anything in the next two years,
the senate is republican by large ma
jority, and it will remain during the next
congress. and is likely to so remain during at
least two years more, whether President RoOse-
welt democrat now unknown shall be
elected in 1904. As it is certain that any bill
drawn upon the lines Of the democratic policy
would not receive the sanction of the senate so
the hope to secure whatever changes may be re-
quired depends upon the next house Of representa-
tives having republican majority.
All agree that combinations, having for their
object and purpose to control arbitrarily the
conditions of trade to control prices, or limit
the production, are evils that should be sup
legislation IN the several states. The republican
party favors whatever legislation is practicable
in this direction, and President Roosevelt.
through the department of Justices is using all
possible power given him In this direction, and
whatever additional legislation is possible by act
Of congress will be invoked by him and will re-
ceive a hearty response from congress.
| Those who speak for tn democratic party have
! but remedy to suggest and that Is free
trade In all articles made by these combinations.
l do not see how this can be effective in any
| case.
1 might give many illustrations of how insig-
nihcant the part the tariff plays as respects
| great combinations of capital, and how puerile
is the remedy proposed for the destruction Of all
trusts by placing trust-made articles on the
| free list. l think 1t may be said truthfully
! that more of the trusts would be benefited by
| the removal Of the tariff than would be injured,
and when injured could endure the injury more
| easily than their competitors who would be
practically destroyed. The great tobacco COM
| bination Is illustration Of this. The re-
moval Of the duties on imported tobacco, and
its products would not only result in "a great
| loss of revenue to the ?governn ent,# but would
| be an actual boon to the tobacco combination.
| So ranging the tariff schedules, it is
| plain that to adopt the policy of the democratic
| party would result not only in a destruction of
| the protective system, but it would also reduce
| the revenue so as to require reestabishment
! of enormous system Of internal revenue taxa
| ton.
| This only remedy proposed by the democrats is
| political, and it seeks by indirection to attack
| the policy Of protection which has withstoOd all
| direct assaults upon it for more 4fhan forty
| years.
| With these experiences to guide us. it seems
| to me not wise to enter upon general
| vision of the tariff, and thereby, pending such
revision, to hazard the disruption of business
| conditions, satisfactory. So rapidly do
| conditions change as respects the markets and
| production. not only in country, but through
out the civilized world. that It may be wise to
enter upon such project after 1904, when the
| two policies controlling the two great parties
shall again&be submitted to. the, American peo-
pie. -...
This does not imply that changes should not
| be made in the meantime, and in the fu-
ture to correct inequities where they now exist
because Of changed conditions of production, or
| because of domestic monopoies'' that appear
| to be pervertlng the benevolent purposes of the
tariff from healthy domestic competition to selfish
greed by controlling prices and limiting produc-
ton for that purpose. These changes should be
made far practicable through reciprocal
treaties suggested in the law Of 1897 thereby en-
larging our markets