The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-08-22
DENIES PROTECTION is MOTHER
OF TRUSTS.
CONDITIONS ARE CHANGED
Removal Of Duty on Cattle Would
Not Help Butcher and Would Be
Injury to Farmers.

M%orrisville, Va, Aug. 19.-Secretary
Leslie NJ. Shaw was the principal
speaker at a republican rally here to-
day. Secretary Shaw lived here when
he was a boy and went to school here
and the residents of all the section
roundabout came to hear him. He
spoke in part as follows:
Il have been quoted as being op-
posed to a revision of the tariff. I
have never opposed REIMBURSEMENT Of
the tariff. Whenever congress reaches
the conclusion that the friends of pro
lection are strong enough to con-
servatively modify certain schedules
so as to meet changed conditions and
at the same time successfully resist
the efforts of the opposition to revise
the entire tariff. law, thus paralyzing
business for a season, l am in favor
of it. | have expressed some doubt,
however, about the wisdom of in
AAoC AuSI44A6 ny - CdoOuS VI 6AdCllus
pledges from candidates for congress,
when the effect is liable to precipi-
tate a protracted debate with very I'M
certain results.
Il have never seen the time since
! have given public questions consid-
Grafton that l would not reduce the
rate on quite a large number of items,
nor when l would not increase the
rate on other items. 1t is not likely
that any members of either house of
congress eve voted for a tariff bill
entirely to his liking, nor is it prob
able that any president ever signed a
bill that he would not have changed
in some particular, had it been in his
power, I am willing to concede that
conditions change and that old Nor
rell bill of the SOS for instance, when
the country was involved in war,
would not be appropriate for us 20
but l will not admit that the tariff is
the mother of trusts, nor will I con-
cede that a tariff for revenue only will
destroy trusts on any other theory
than a fire in a wheat field will de-
stroy Canadian thistles.
.'The protective tariff is not the
mother of trusts, though it is the pa
rent of conditions that makes it prof
liable for capital to combine and con-
genial for labor to organize.
THE Iowa platform of this year
and the last campaign declares in
favor of a change in the present tar
if.
This has caused considerable COM
not quite as persistently, but in the
same way Of the memorable speech
of the late President Mckinley at
Buffalo, m%isquoted, misconstrued and
misrepresented. The platform de-
clares In favor of such changes in
the tariff from time to time as become
advisable through the progress of u
industries and their changed relations
to commerce of the world Is there
anyone who is not in favor of such
changes in the tariff from time to
time as are advisable?'
1--WE all say aye, sir, to the PROPOSE
ton. There may be quite a radical
difference of opinion as to the truth
of the implied admission that the
protective tariff does afford shelter
to monopoly, but there would be no
difference of opinion about removing
it if it did afford such shelter.
"A few days ago the butchers in
convention assembled declared in ia
vor of abolishing the tariff on cattle
and meat to the end that this sup
posed shelter for, the alleged meat
trust might be removed, but l am
disposed to think the good farmers
of my state would vote quite unani-
mously against such an expedient.
Suppose we take the tariff off beef,
and then suppose the herds of cattle
from Mexico and South America are
brought in by the hundred thousand.
They will find theil way to the stock
yards and the butchers will be COM
PEELED to bid against the packers then
as now. No, the removal of the tariff
on livestock and meat would not re-
store the butchers to business. 1t
might ruin the farmers, but the pack
ers could stand it, for nothing less
than organized capital could enter
the export meat business with pack
ing houses in foreign countries, re-
frigerating ships and other expensive
equipment. l happen to know that
at least one, and l understand two,
of the big packing houses have had
men looking into the South American
field for more than two years. The
farmer. as it is, has ample reason to