The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-10-15
SENATOR LODGE
ON PROTECTION
Louisville Commercial

= NuluRs lIOll tut HhiNoW punt OF view
of one who thinks Boston the "hub'
aud Massachusetts, the whole wheel
and yet be good American protec
zionist He thinks that because Mas
sachusetts needs cheap leather in hei
shoe manufacturing industry that al
the other sections Of the country where
cattle are reared should cheerfully
submit to free trade in hides. Sena.
tor Lodge is not angry with the great
west and south; he is not, in fact, i'm.
patient; but he cannot help feeling
that these outlying districts are aw-
fully provincial not to understand that
the importance of Massach usetts' in.
dustries is vastly beyond that of any
other section. But when it comes to
the question Of maintaining the pro-
tective tariff system Senator Lodges
patriotism rises above sll local preju-
dices. and he is ready to sacrifice what
he thinks are his rights 10 maintain
what he knows to be the bulwark Of
Americas prosperity and commercial
greatness. In q recent speech Senator
Lodge set forth his attitude toward
the tariff In these words:
Now, suppose, to give you q prao-
tioal example of what mean when
l say that you can't amend the tar
i'll here and there, let rs take the
case Of hides. That lie the worst case
Of duty that know Of. A duty
was put on hides in the Dingley bill.
It was duty, in my Judgment, on
tirely indefensible economically and
utterly useless to the people who asked
for it. 1t was demanded by the west
in response to sentiment purely. They
said the farmers Of the west insisted
that they should have protection for
their cattle. No amount Of argument
would show to them that il didn't
give any protection to their cattle or
to their farms, and that IL was simply
an injury more OF less to the manufAo-
turers Of the east.
Mr.. Hoar and myself resisted that
duty to the utmost of our strength and
ability. Il reached the point In the
Republican caucus Of the senate where,
had Mr.. Hoar and myself casried
our position on to the floor Of the sen
ate-we had a very narrow majority
at that time-we should have defeated
the bill, because the other senator's
would have Immediately attacked 9TH
err schedules and other rates Of duties
which they didn't like. The question
was presented TO us whether we would
take upon ourselves the responsibility
of defeating a tariff settlement, after
all those four years, as it had been, Of
panic and disasters whether we should
prevent the solution of that question
and the setting OF the industries of
the country on q finn basis, or wheth-
or we would submit to what we both
q wrong duty and an OPP
preston in a measure upon one Of our
important industries We decided that
our frs duty was the passage of the
great bill which protected all the in
dustries Of the country. And we yield
ed upon that.
Now, to show you how the thing
works, suppose we introduce bill to
put hides on the free list. and get it be-
fore the finance committee, and we go
to them and say, Snow, we want the
duty taken of hides. They say, 1--WE
think that is just. We don't think
there is any compensation You need to
make. We are convinced by your ar
gument." And they bring it in. The
moment that comes before the senate
Of the United States, amendments
hueCtluB oNofy bChouuAo ~ eho 9hib
will be tackled on to it. No senator
there can afford to allow change to
go by in a single schedule without
seeking some amendment which he
thinks might improve the industries
in his own state. II they didn't do
it, the Democratic party would do it,
as measure Of party policy. In 9TH
or words the moment you bring IN one
amendment you open the entire tariff
to amendment.
And this is the trus spirit Of Repub-
licanism. The country and the coun-
try's flag first; after that, the largest
measure of individual liberty oonsis-
tent with the general welfare. And
it is the policy Of the Republican party
to protect every American industry,